Contents
The skill-game rulings
Several Indian High Courts have ruled that thirteen-card rummy is a game of skill rather than chance, and that running it does not breach the public-gambling statutes that prohibit wagering on games of pure chance. The key rulings we cite in our editorial pages are the long line of cases from the Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Madras High Courts.
What the rulings say, in plain language
Where a game requires the player to exercise skill that materially affects the outcome, the game is treated as a skill-game and is generally permitted under the public-gambling statutes. Rummy has been held to satisfy the skill threshold.
State restrictions
The following states have restrictions on real-money rummy or real-money gaming in general. Slots Studio readers in restricted states should not play for real money.
| State | Restriction | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Amended state rules | Skill-game carve-out narrowed in 2020; verify with current state text |
| Assam | Public Gambling Act, 1927 applies | No skill-game exemption in current state text |
| Karnataka | Amended state rules | Earlier carve-out narrowed; verify with current state text |
| Odisha | Public Gambling Act, 1937 applies | No skill-game exemption in current state text |
| Sikkim | Sikkim Online Gaming Act | Restricted to Sikkim-licensed operators |
| Telangana | Telangana State Gaming Act, 1974 amended | Skill-game carve-out narrowed; verify with current state text |
Public-gambling statutes and state amendments change. Read the current state text or a current advisory before opening a real-money account.
The federal framework
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (often called the Online Gaming Act) was passed by Parliament in 2025. The Act does not retroactively ban skill-games, but it does tighten the rules on advertising, on verification of player identity and on remedies for disputes. The Act and the related MeitY rules are the two regulatory documents the Slots Studio desk keeps on the file.
What Slots Studio publishes on this
Every reviewed Slots Studio page links to the platform's own statement on legality and to the platform's own geographic restriction list. Slots Studio does not give legal advice; if you need advice on a specific state ruling, please contact a qualified lawyer.
Verifying the source
The easiest way to keep a current picture is to read the platform's own published geographic-restriction list. If the platform's list and the Slots Studio editorial disagree, the platform's list is what the cashier uses; the Slots Studio editorial is updated within the weekly cycle.
Why rummy is treated as a skill-game in most Indian states
Indian courts have repeatedly held that three-card brag, thirteen-card rummy and similar pool formats are games of skill rather than chance when the rules require a declaration and a valid meld. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 leaves the classification of games of skill to the states, and the Supreme Court has confirmed this approach in K.R. Lakshmanan v. State of Tamil Nadu and subsequent rulings. The result is that rummy offered against a real-money stake is typically regulated by the state where the player sits, not by central law.
States that allow real-money play usually require the platform to hold a state-issued licence, verify each player once, and disclose the rules of the game in a help centre. States that restrict the activity typically do so by adding the game to a state-specific schedule. The list of states that restrict real-money play is short and frequently published.
The Slots Studio desk does not give legal advice. If you live in a state where you are not sure whether a real-money game is permitted, the local state gaming board is the authoritative source. The list at the top of this page links to every state board that has published a clear public ruling.