Kochi, Nov 11: Kerala High Court today declined to stay the ban on the sale of online lotteries in the state. The interim order in this regard was issued by Justice C N Ramachandran Nair on a petition by three online lottery companies - Tashi Delik Gaming Solutions Private Ltd, Kenlott Gaming Solutions Pvt Ltd and Ultra Entertainment Solutions Ltd, which approached the court challenging the ban imposed by the state government on their operations in the state.

The state govenrment informed the court that the operators of the lotteries had not obtained government consent on the matter and the state had lost Rs 6000 crore as revenue due to this.

The petitioners had sought quashing of the notification which had banned their operations declaring it as 'illegal'. They also challenged rule 24 (3) of the Kerala state lotteries and on-line lotteries (regulation) rules, which, they said, gave unbridled power to the state to ban the lotteries of other states. The director of lotteries had banned the lotteries after it was found that certain individuals were operating illegal single digit lotteries in the state.

The case has been posted to November 13. Bureau Report