Online gamblers could face six months in prison if a new law passes in India’s southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh (AP).

On Thursday, AP information minister Perni Venkataramaiah disclosed that the state cabinet had approved amendments to the AP Gaming Act 1974 that will criminalize online poker, rummy and other so-called ‘skill’ games. Venkataramaiah said the decision was taken to protect impressionable youths who have been ‘misled’ by unscrupulous gambling operators.

Assuming the amendments survive potential legal challenges, AP residents caught gambling online could do six months behind bars. Gambling operators are looking at a full year for a first offence, with two-year sentences for operators who fail to learn their lesson the first time.

Pressure to ban online gambling in all its various forms in AP isn’t new but the cause recently took on new urgency. Like most countries, India has reportedly experienced a surge in online gambling activity during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, but India is also dealing with a supposed rise in the number of illegal online networks run by Chinese nationals.