ETtechMumbai: The founders of online fantasy sports platform Dream11—Bhavit Sheth and Harsh Jain—have moved the Karnataka high court, seeking to quash the first information report (FIR) filed against them over the new state law that bans betting in online games, sources familiar with the matter told ET.
This comes two weeks after Dream11 had to suspend operations in Karnataka over allegations that it was in violation of Karnataka’s new gaming ban. The Bengaluru police had filed an FIR against Seth and Jain based on a complaint that the firm had continued to offer gaming services on its platform a week after the state government notified the new rules, which ban what it terms “games of chance”. Karnataka is among the three states with the highest number of players of online fantasy games, industry experts have told ET.
Dream11 declined to comment on the matter.
Last week ET reported that the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) had separately filed a petition challenging the Constitutional validity of the gaming ban, which was brought in through amendments to the Karnataka Police Act, 1963. The Karnataka high court will take up the AIGF petition on October 27. It asks the court to stay the recent amendments to the Karnataka Police Act, and to direct the state government not to take action under them while the case is in court. Other gaming companies including Mobile Premier League have also moved the court, challenging the law and seeking relief.
This comes two weeks after Dream11 had to suspend operations in Karnataka over allegations that it was in violation of Karnataka’s new gaming ban. The Bengaluru police had filed an FIR against Seth and Jain based on a complaint that the firm had continued to offer gaming services on its platform a week after the state government notified the new rules, which ban what it terms “games of chance”. Karnataka is among the three states with the highest number of players of online fantasy games, industry experts have told ET.
Dream11 declined to comment on the matter.
Last week ET reported that the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) had separately filed a petition challenging the Constitutional validity of the gaming ban, which was brought in through amendments to the Karnataka Police Act, 1963. The Karnataka high court will take up the AIGF petition on October 27. It asks the court to stay the recent amendments to the Karnataka Police Act, and to direct the state government not to take action under them while the case is in court. Other gaming companies including Mobile Premier League have also moved the court, challenging the law and seeking relief.
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