The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State urges Centre to ban online lotteries

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State urges Centre to ban online lotteries

Special Correspondent

Karnataka to ban all lotteries if Centre fails to act

BANGALORE: With various types of lotteries threatening the economic security of daily wage earners, the State Government has urged the Centre to ban online lotteries, including those of other countries.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, Minister for Lotteries Ramachandra Gowda announced that the Government would declare Karnataka a "lottery-free State" if the Centre did not amend the Lottery (Regulation) Act, 1998 to regulate the operation of lotteries in States. "If the Centre does not act in two months, the State Cabinet will take a decision and declare the State lottery free," he said.

In a two-page memorandum to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Mr. Gowda said "the livelihood of daily wage earners is being marred in our State due to operation of various types of lotteries organised by different States." He asked the Centre to given more liberty to States to ban Internet and online lotteries while retaining the conventional paper lotteries, if necessary. Mr. Gowda met Mr. Patil in New Delhi last week and submitted the memorandum.

The Karnataka High Court, on June 2, 2006, set aside the ban on online lotteries in the State saying that a State Government, which itself conducts lotteries, whether paper or online, could not ban lotteries run by others.

Mr. Gowda said Mr. Patil had assured him that a committee headed by the Union Home Secretary would look into various aspects of lotteries. But the committee had not arrived at a consensus yet, he said.

If a total ban on Internet lotteries was not possible, the terms "paper lottery," "Internet lottery" and "computerised lottery" should be clearly defined.

The total number of draws conducted by each State annually should be restricted to 1,000 at a rate not exceeding three draws a day. This would reduce the number of daily/hourly draws.

Results of all lottery draws should be announced only between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. in order to discourage lottery players from spending the entire day in lottery parlours, he said.

`Restrict sale'

Mr. Gowda also urged the Centre to amend the Act to restrict the sale of lottery tickets between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. throughout the country.

He also demanded a level playing field for all types of lotteries of various States. Government-organised lotteries could be allowed to operate in the State but not Government-approved lotteries, which were currently in operation in various parts of the country, he said.

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