Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Gaming and banning: On ban on online games

Gaming and banning: On ban on online games

Online gaming might be addictive (व्यसनकारी, लत लगाने वाली वस्तु), but a ban will militate (विरोध करना, प्रतिकूल होना) against individual freedom

Yet another legislative (वैधानिक, नियामक, विधि संबंधी) attempt to prohibit online gaming has failed under judicial scrutiny (न्यायिक जांच). The amendments brought to existing regulations (विनियमन, शासन, आदेश) on betting and gambling in Karnataka have been struck down by the State’s High Court. Last year, the Madras High Court invalidated (अमान्य करना, रद्द करना) similar amendments that targeted online rummy and poker. What is common to both cases is that the legislature (विधानसभा, विधान मंडल) assumed (ग्रहण करना, मान लेना, प्राप्त करना) a paternalistic (relating to the behaviour of people in authority in a fatherly manner restricting rights or responsibilities of subordinate and make decisions on their own) role, arguably (यकीनन, विवादास्पद रूप से) with the laudable (प्रशंसनीय, सराहनीय) aim of protecting the people, especially the youth, from the temptations (प्रलोभन, फुसलाना, आकर्षण) of online gambling. However, the resulting (परिणामी, लगातार) provisions (प्रावधान, खंड, शर्त, आवश्यकता) failed to make a distinction (भिन्नता, अंतर) between games of skill (a game where the outcome is determined mainly by mental or physical skill, rather than chance) and games of chance, and sought to bring under the proscription (prohibition, forbidding, banning, disallowing) all games played online, regardless of (despite, notwithstanding, in spite of) the extent to which skill was required. Further, the Karnataka High Court has rejected a key submission (proposal, suggestion, proposition, recommendation) that it could be upheld (confirm, endorse/approve, vindicate/validate) as a ‘public order (it means the situation that exists when people obey the laws, rules or authority of the State)’ law. It referred to “the menace (threat/danger, risk/peril, intimidation) of cyber games” of epic (very great/large) proportions (ratio, relative amount), and the registration of about 28,000 cases by the police in the State in the last three years. The government did have a point when it said many have taken their own lives and families ruined (wreck, destroy, devastate, spoil) as a result of gaming addiction and indebtedness (liabilities, liability, financial obligation, arrears; (an obligation pay money to another party)). However, as the court has pointed out (identify, mention, indicate, draw attention to), if the objective (aim, intention, purpose, target, goal) was to curb (control, contain, restrict, limit) the menace of gambling, the government should prohibit activities that amount to gambling (betting) as such, and not the games of skill. While enacting (make law, pass, approve, ratify) the extreme measure, it did not consider the feasibility (practicality, workability, viability) of regulating (control, oversee, administer something (by using rules and regulations)) wagering (bet, gamble; risk) on games of skill.

While the idea of betting and gambling conjures up (make something appear, generate, produce, generate (unexpectedly or by magic)) the image of a ‘bucket shop (a business that allows gambling based on the prices of stocks or commodities; stock market; a brokerage house)’ associated with dingy gaming-houses frequented (visit often, be a regular visitor to, be a regular client of, go to regularly, go to repeatedly) by hustlers (an expert in illegal dealing or aggressive selling; who is very criminal, lawbreaker, offender, black hat), there is an element of ‘information, expression and entertainment’ that has constitutional (legal, lawful, legitimate) protection. And gaming platforms are also a legitimate business that enjoy the freedom of trade when used for online versions of games of skill. The court has drawn attention to (to make someone notice something; emphasize, highlight, underscore; focus on) the fact that what such bans do is to create “a wholly new category of medium-based regulation, when chance of medium per se (in itself, of itself, by itself, as such, intrinsically) does not alter the true nature and content of the games”. In other words, what is targeted is not the gambling part but the ‘online’ part. Also, the amendments contradicted a general exemption (exclusion, relief, exception) in the original law to ‘games of skill’ by making all online gaming punishable even if they involved skill. It is clear that an absolute (complete, total; full, supreme, unconditional, boundless, unrestricted) embargo (ban/bar, restriction, prohibition, stoppage (the official one)) on games of skill involving money or stakes (bet, wager; prize money) could not have been upheld by the court, as the line between individual freedom, both to carry on the business and to participate in it as a consumer, and state action could not have been obliterated (to destroy something completely, so that nothing is left; eliminate, eradicate, wipe out, annihilate, demolish). All legislation (body of laws, acts, rules, regulations, statutes) that assumes that sections of society require the hand (help, a helping hand, assistance, aid, support; an active role) of the state to guide and support them have some populist appeal (attraction, attractiveness, interest, allure, fascination, temptation, drawing power). And there is an addictive element to online gaming, but that does not mean there is no individual freedom and choice at all (in any way, under any circumstances).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.addictive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - व्यसनकारी, लत लगाने वाली वस्तु
English Meaning - habit-forming, causing addiction; compelling, compulsive.

2.militate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - विरोध करना, प्रतिकूल होना
English Meaning - work against, go against, be detrimental to, resist, hinder/oppose.

3.legislative (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - वैधानिक, नियामक, विधि संबंधी
English Meaning - Relating to legislation. (legislation - body of laws, acts, rules, regulations, statutes).

4.judicial scrutiny (noun)

Hindi Meaning - न्यायिक जांच
English Meaning - a form of judicial review that courts use to determine the constitutionality of certain laws.

5.scrutiny (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जांच, निरीक्षण
English Meaning - examination, inspection, investigation.

6.regulation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विनियमन, शासन, आदेश
English Meaning - rule, ruling, order, directive, act, law, statute, ordinance, decree, fiat.

7.invalidate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अमान्य करना, रद्द करना
English Meaning - nullify, annul, negate, cancel, quash, overrule, override.

8.legislature (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधानसभा, विधान मंडल
English Meaning - law-making body or governing body; parliament, congress, assembly.

9.assume (verb)

Hindi Meaning - ग्रहण करना, मान लेना, प्राप्त करना
English Meaning - acquire, take on, adopt, come to have (a quality).

10.arguably (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - यकीनन, विवादास्पद रूप से
English Meaning - possibly, conceivably, maybe, potentially.

11.laudable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशंसनीय, सराहनीय
English Meaning - praiseworthy, commendable, admirable.

12.temptation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रलोभन, फुसलाना, आकर्षण
English Meaning - lure, allurement, attraction.

13.resulting (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - परिणामी, लगातार
English Meaning - consecutive, ensuing, subsequent (as the result of something).

14.provision (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रावधान, खंड, शर्त, आवश्यकता
English Meaning - clause, (legal) term, stipulation, requirement, condition.

15.distinction (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भिन्नता, अंतर
English Meaning - difference, contrast, variance, variation.

16.paternalistic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the behaviour of people in authority in a fatherly manner restricting rights or responsibilities of subordinate and make decisions on their own.

17.strike down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - abolish, annul, nullify (a law or regulation).

18.game of skill/game of wits (noun)

English Meaning - a game where the outcome is determined mainly by mental or physical skill, rather than chance.

19.game of chance (noun)

English Meaning - a game whose outcome is strongly influenced by some randomizing device.

20.sought past tense of seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

21.proscription (noun)

English Meaning - prohibition, forbidding, banning, disallowing.

22.regardless of (phrase)

English Meaning - despite, notwithstanding, in spite of.

23.submission (noun)

English Meaning - proposal, suggestion, proposition, recommendation.

24.uphold (verb)

English Meaning - confirm, endorse/approve, vindicate/validate.

25.public order (noun)

English Meaning - it means the situation that exists when people obey the laws, rules or authority of the State.

26.menace (noun)

English Meaning - threat/danger, risk/peril, intimidation.

27.epic (adjective)

English Meaning - very great/large.

28.proportion (noun)

English Meaning - ratio, relative amount.

29.take one’s own life (phrase)

English Meaning - kill oneself.

30.ruin (verb)

English Meaning - wreck, destroy, devastate, spoil.

31.indebtedness (noun)

English Meaning - liabilities, liability, financial obligation, arrears; (an obligation pay money to another party).

32.point out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - identify, mention, indicate, draw attention to.

33.objective (noun)

English Meaning - aim, intention, purpose, target, goal.

34.curb (verb)

English Meaning - control, contain, restrict, limit.

35.gambling (noun)

English Meaning - betting.

36.amount to (verb)

English Meaning - be equivalent to, be tantamount to.

37.as such (phrase)

English Meaning - in itself, of itself, by itself, intrinsically.

38.enact (verb)

English Meaning - make law, pass, approve, ratify.

39.measure (noun)

English Meaning - action, step, procedure.

40.feasibility (noun)

English Meaning - practicality, workability, viability.

41.regulate (verb)

English Meaning - control, oversee, administer something (by using rules and regulations).

42.wager (verb)

English Meaning - bet, gamble; risk.

43.conjure up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - make something appear, generate, produce, generate (unexpectedly or by magic).

44.bucket shop (noun)

English Meaning - a business that allows gambling based on the prices of stocks or commodities; stock market; a brokerage house.

45.dingy (adjective)

English Meaning - dark, dull, badly lit, poorly lit.

46.frequent (verb)

English Meaning - visit often, be a regular visitor to, be a regular client of, go to regularly, go to repeatedly.

47.hustler (noun)

English Meaning - an expert in illegal dealing or aggressive selling; who is very criminal, lawbreaker, offender, black hat.

48.constitutional (adjective)

English Meaning - legal, lawful, legitimate.

49.draw attention to (phrase)

English Meaning - to make someone notice something; emphasize, highlight, underscore; focus on.

50.per se (adverb)

English Meaning - in itself, of itself, by itself, as such, intrinsically.

51.contradict (verb)

English Meaning - conflict with, be at odds with, be at variance with, be inconsistent with.

52.exemption (noun)

English Meaning - exclusion, relief, exception.

53.absolute (adjective)

English Meaning - complete, total; full, supreme, unconditional, boundless, unrestricted.

54.embargo (noun)

English Meaning - ban/bar, restriction, prohibition, stoppage (the official one).

55.stake (noun)

English Meaning - bet, wager; prize money.

56.carry on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - continue, keep on, go on, push on, press on, persist in.

57.obliterate (verb)

English Meaning - to destroy something completely, so that nothing is left; eliminate, eradicate, wipe out, annihilate, demolish.

58.legislation (noun)

English Meaning - body of laws, acts, rules, regulations, statutes.

59.hand (noun)

English Meaning - help, a helping hand, assistance, aid, support; an active role.

60.populist (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the political approach which claims that it is representing the common/ordinary people.

61.appeal (noun)

English Meaning - attraction, attractiveness, interest, allure, fascination, temptation, drawing power.

62.at all (phrase)

English Meaning - in any way, under any circumstances.