Ace2Three gets partial relief as court weigh in on Telangana gaming ordinance

A division bench of the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana High Court has given Indian rummy sites the green light to continue their operations—albeit with restrictions—as the court continues to deliberate on Telangana’s new gaming ordinance.

On Thursday, GLaws.in reported that the High Court ruled that rummy companies based in Telangana like Ace2Three could accept customers based outside the state, while continuing to prohibit players from within Telangana.

The Telangana Cabinet recently passed an ordinance amending the state’s Gaming Act of 9174 to ban online gambling. The Telangana State Gaming (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 added new definition of “cyber space” in the gaming legislation, making betting and gambling through the internet illegal, which means that playing online matka, sports betting, poker and rummy in the state will now incur criminal penalties.

This prompted Ace2Three, along with fellow rummy sites Rummycircle and Junglee Rummy, to file petitions, noting the “unconstitutional” ordinance violates the sites’ “fundamental right to carry out trade and commerce,” according to the report.