Section 2 — Definitions.

2. Definitions. - In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—  

(a) “Appellate Authority” means the Appellate Authority established by the Government 

under section 13;  

(b) “appointed day” means the date appointed under sub-section (2) of section 1;  

 (c) “Authority” means the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority established under 

section 3; 

(d) “geo-blocking” means restricting users from accessing online content, online 

applications or online services, based on the user’s geographical location; 

  (e) “Government” means the State Government; 

(f) “local online games provider” means an online games provider,—  

      (i) whose central management and control of the service is in this State; or  

      (ii) whose service that is available for access by the customers, is hosted in this 

State;  

(g) “Non-local online games provider” means any online games service provider who is 

not a local online games provider;  

(h) “other stakes” means anything recognised as equivalent to money and includes 

virtual credits, virtual coins, virtual tokens, virtual objects or any similar thing that is purchased 

within, or as part of, or in relation to, an online game;  



(i) “online gambling” means online wagering or betting and includes playing of any online 

game of chance for money or other stakes, in any manner.  

Explanation.— For the purpose of this clause, wagering or betting shall be deemed to comprise 

the collection or soliciting of bets, the receipt or distribution of winnings or prizes, in money or 

otherwise, in respect of any wager or bet, or any act which is intended to aid or facilitate 

wagering or betting or such collection, soliciting, receipt, or distribution; 

 (j) “online gambling service” means a service, for online wagering or betting or for any 

online game of chance and the customer of the service gives or agrees to give money or put up 

any other stake for the purpose; 

 (k) “online game” means any game, whether or not there are other participants in the 

game, that is played on an electronic or a digital device and is managed and operated as a 

software through the internet or any other kind of electronic or other technology for facilitating 

communication;  

(l) “online game of chance” includes any online game which,—  

     (i) involves both an element of chance and an element of skill and the element of 

chance dominates over the element of skill; or  

     (ii) involves an element of chance that can be eliminated only by superlative skill; or  

     (iii) is a game that is presented as involving an element of chance; or  

     (iv) involves cards, dice, wheel or such other device, which works on random outcome 

or event generator;  

(m) “online games provider” means any person who provides a service for the conduct of 

any online game;  

(n) “online gaming server” means any mainframe computer or set of computers, installed 

or maintained by the online games provider, that accepts, processes, stores and validates 

transactions arising out of online gaming, and which manages, monitors and controls the entire 

system of online gaming;  

(o) “payment gateway” means, a service that authorises a user’s transfer of funds 

between banks or financial institutions to merchants without direct delivery of bank or credit card 

account information; 

(p) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;  

(q) “regulations” means regulations made by the Authority under section 5;  

(r) “Schedule” means the Schedule appended to this Act; 

 (s) “State” means the State of Tamil Nadu;  



(t) words and expressions used herein and not defined in this Act but defined in the 

Information Technology Act, 2000 [Central Act 21 of 2000] shall have the meaning, respectively, 

as assigned to them in that Act. 

 

 CHAPTER II 

THE TAMIL NADU ONLINE GAMING AUTHORITY.