Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday wrote a letter to Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology and Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad, requesting him to direct the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block the applications and websites associated with online gaming, gambling and betting in the State.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy attached a list of 132 such websites and apps with this letter on which he wanted the Centre to act. He said that online gaming, gambling and betting websites had become a social evil as the youth were indulging in them from the comforts of their homes through cellphones and computers.
Even as gambling and betting in their usual form can be easily identified, their online operations are difficult to trace, he said.
The State government has recently declared online gaming, gambling and betting as illegal by under the A.P. Gaming Act, 1974, by promulgating an ordinance, which was notified on September 25. One of the key features of the Act is making those assisting in the operation of the online gaming, gambling and betting liable for punishment.
“This is where the role of ISPs can be termed as the assisting factor as the websites are not blocked. Stopping illegal gaming and betting is not possible without cooperation of ISPs. They should be instructed to block the websites to help the government curb the menace,” he wrote.
