Lok Sabha Question No. 83 (STARRED), answered on 2023-02-08
Subject: Online Gambling and illegal Betting
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Rajendra Agrawal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*83

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 8.2.2023

## ONLING GAMBLING AND ILLEGAL BETTING

## *83.  SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL:

Will  the  Minister  of  Electronics  and  Information  Technology  be  pleased  to state:-

- (a) whether the Government is aware of incident of suicides after losing money in online gambling and harassment by the companies;
- (b) if so, the details thereof including  the number of suicides during the last one year;
- (c) whether the Government has issued any notice against companies involved in online gambling and illegal betting;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to bring any strict legislation to prevent online gambling and illegal betting and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (e):   A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN THE REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *83  FOR 8.2.2023 REGARDING ONLINE GAMBLING AND ILLEGAL BETTING

- ..........

(a) to (e): Data related to crimes, including cybercrimes, are maintained by the National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB),  based  on  data  reported  by  State Police  and  other  law  enforcement  agencies.      State-  and  Union-territory-wise details of cases registered under  the  sub-category 'Abetment  to  suicide (online)'within the category of 'Cybercrimes' is at Annex.

With regard to legislation on betting and gambling and action against companies  involved in illegal betting, it is informed that 'Betting and gambling'  is  entry  34  in  the  State  List  of  the  Seventh  Schedule  to  the Constitution. Therefore, as per the provisions of article 246 of the Constitution, State Legislatures have exclusive power to legislate on matters related to betting and gambling. Further, as per the provisions of article 162, matters related to betting and gambling lie within the executive power of the States. Moreover, as per  the  Code  of  Criminal  Procedure,  1973,  prevention  and  investigation  of cognizable offences is to be done by the police and 'Police' is a State subject under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution. States are primarily responsible for the prevention, investigation etc. for action on illegal betting and gambling. Accordingly, State police departments take preventive and penal action as per law in respect of illegal betting and gambling.

*******

## Cases registered under the sub-category 'Abetment of suicide', within the category 'cybercrimes'

| S. No.   | State/Union territory                    | 2019   |   2020 |   2021 |
|----------|------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh                           | 0      |      0 |      1 |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh                        | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 3        | Assam                                    | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 4        | Bihar                                    | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh                             | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 6        | Goa                                      | 1      |      0 |      0 |
| 7        | Gujarat                                  | 2      |      2 |      2 |
| 8        | Haryana                                  | 0      |      2 |      0 |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh                         | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 10       | Jharkhand                                | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 11       | Karnataka                                | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 12       | Kerala                                   | 0      |      0 |      1 |
| 13       | Madhya Pradesh                           | 0      |      2 |      3 |
| 14       | Maharashtra                              | 3      |      3 |      3 |
| 15       | Manipur                                  | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 16       | Meghalaya                                | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 17       | Mizoram                                  | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 18       | Nagaland                                 | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 19       | Odisha                                   | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 20       | Punjab                                   | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 21       | Rajasthan                                | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 22       | Sikkim                                   | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 23       | Tamil Nadu                               | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 24       | Telangana                                | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 25       | Tripura                                  | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh                            | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 27       | Uttarakhand                              | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 28       | West Bengal                              | 1      |      1 |      0 |
| 29       | Andaman and Nicobar Islands              | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 30       | Chandigarh                               | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 31       | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 32       | Delhi                                    | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 33       | Jammu and Kashmir                        | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 34       | Ladakh                                   |        |      0 |      0 |
| 35       | Lakshadweep                              | 0      |      0 |      0 |
| 36       | Puducherry                               | 0      |      0 |      0 |
|          | Total                                    | 7      |     10 |     10 |

Source:

National Crime Records Bureau