Is it legal to play rummy for cash on thegoldenrummy.in?

Yes, it is completely legal to play online rummy for cash on Golden Rummy. It is legal because rummy is a game of skill and it is protected by the Constitution of India. Playing a game of skill like rummy is legally considered a business activity and the activity of playing a game of skill with cash is protected under Article 19[1](g) of the Constitution of India.

The Supreme Court of India ruled in the year 1968 that rummy is a game of skill. This judgment has been relied on and followed in many subsequent judgments. In 1996, the Supreme Court of India also stated that (i) a competition where chances of success depend on a significant degree of skill is not gambling, and (ii) despite the fact that there is an element of chance, rummy is preponderantly a game of skill and thus may be considered a game of ‘mere skill.’

However, the state laws of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Telangana do not permit playing online rummy for real money. Therefore, JungleeRummy.com does not allow players residing in or logging in from the aforementioned states to play cash rummy games/tournaments on Golden Rummy.

However, players residing or logging in from the aforementioned states can still play our free practice games, and we may permit them to play our cash games and tournaments in the future when these states’ laws change or become clearer.

Is Rummy a Game of Skill?

Yes! Rummy is considered as a game of skill or mere skill by the courts of law. Games of skill or mere skill do not come under the category of betting and gambling. Rummy card game is excluded from the applicability of laws that prohibit acts of betting and gambling, except in a few states in India.

A gist of such a ruling from the high court is as follows:

“Rummy, on the other hand, requires certain amount of skill because the fall of the cards has to be memorised and the building up of Rummy requires considerable skill in holding and discarding cards. We cannot, therefore, say that the game of Rummy is a game of entire chance. It is mainly and preponderantly a game of skill. The chance in Rummy is of the same character as the chance in a deal at a game of bridge.”

Another instance is the Supreme Court ruling of 1967, (also known as State of Andhra Pradesh vs K. Satyanarayan) which states that rummy cannot be declared as a “game of entire chance” and therefore “is mainly and preponderantly a game of skill”.

Games of Chance Vs Games of Skill

The Indian law considers gambling as an act of wagering on activities of chance. Therefore, any game where the result is primarily based on luck or chance is considered as a game of chance. Such games are categorized under acts of gambling.

Games of skill are those whose outcomes are primarily based on the skills of the players. Therefore, such games are legal as skills are required to play them.

Rummy is completely legal to play, as it is entirely a game of skill. You require overall intelligence, decision-making skills and sharp memory along with acute observation on players’ moves while playing rummy. So, play online rummy on thegoldenrummy.in and utilize your skills to win against your opponents.

Are Games of Skill Legally Protected?

Yes! The Supreme Court of India in 1957 had stated that competitions (cash and others) that involve significant skills are categorized as business activities which are protected under the Constitution of India Article 19(1)(g). Therefore, except for a few states (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Telangana) the rummy card game is completely legal to play in India.