The Karnataka Cabinet on Saturday decided to ban online gambling or betting by amending the Karnataka Police Act, 1963.
The ban, however, would not include lottery or betting on horse races, said Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C. Madhuswamy, briefing the media on the decisions taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
The decision was taken following the High Court of Karnataka repeatedly asking the State government to take a stand on online betting, Mr. Madhuswamy clarified.
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The Cabinet approved a draft Bill to amend the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, and the Bill would be introduced in the coming session of the State legislature beginning on September 13.
The draft Bill defined online games as “involving all forms of wagering or betting including in the form of tokens valued in terms of money paid before or after the issue of it, or electronic means and virtual currency, electronic transfer of funds in connection with any game of chance.”
In July, the State government informed the High Court that it had drafted a Bill to ban all forms of online betting and gambling. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have imposed a ban on online games.
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Housing project
The Cabinet has approved a proposal of the Karnataka Housing Board to develop a residential layout at Lingapura village in Anekal taluk, Suryanagara second phase, on 50:50 basis with owners of the land. Both the KHB and landowners would get equal share in the 110-acre plot.
A decision was taken to develop a cultural and heritage centre at Veerapura in Magadi taluk of Ramanagaram district, the birthplace of Sri Shivakumara Swami of Siddaganga Mutt, Tumakuru. The estimated cost of the project was ₹25 crore.
Mini Vidhana Soudhas would be constructed at a cost of ₹10.97 crore and ₹12.28 crore, respectively, at Molakalmuru in Chitradurga and Kumta in Uttara Kannada district.