5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Sep 11, 2026 02:32 PM IST
In the past, the top court has rejected the idea that even a small amount of skill is enough to take a game outside the ambit of gambling laws. (Wikimedia Commons)
A Karnataka High Court judge has cast doubt on a nearly 50-year-old ruling that held the card game Andar Bahar to be a game of skill rather than chance and referred the issue to a larger bench for reconsideration.
The distinction matters in deciding the legality of games and has often come before courts.
While hearing a petition to quash criminal proceedings arising from an alleged gambling raid in Mangaluru, Justice Suraj Govindaraj said he was “unable to agree” with the court’s 1977 decision in Eeranna v State of Karnataka. What are such distinctions based on, and what happens now?
