Madras High Court upholds night ban on online real money games in Tamil Nadu

The Madras High Court has upheld the state government’s restrictions on online real money games (RMG), including a mandatory “blank hour” between midnight and 5 am. The court also gave its nod to the requirement of Aadhaar authentication for players, calling these rules a necessary safeguard against addiction and public health risks.

The verdict, delivered on June 3 by a Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and K. Rajasekar, came in response to a slew of petitions by online gaming platforms like Play Games 24x7, Junglee Games, and Esports Players Welfare Association. These companies had challenged provisions in the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022, and the 2025 TNOGA (RMG) Regulations, arguing they were unconstitutional and overly paternalistic.

But the court dismissed these concerns, citing the state’s constitutional power under Entries 6 and 26 of the State List, which allow legislation on public health and intra-state commerce.