All in Arena Sports and Cultural Association v. State of Karnataka
Case brief
What is this about?
Games of skill; Karnataka Police Act 1963 licence; recreational club/association Koramangala Bangalore; gambling prevention conditions; CCTV footage 15 days; member identity cards; no stakes; Sections 2(14) & 2(15); Explanation (II) Section 2(7); Writ Appeal Nos.728/2020; WP No.17271 of 2025; GM-POLICE; B M Shyam Prasad J.; police periodic inspection; poker rummy chess snooker billiards carom.
What did the court decide?
Petition disposed of: police not to insist on licence under the Karnataka Police Act, 1963 and not to interfere with lawful recreational activities, subject to petitioner's compliance with conditions (installation of CCTV cameras within six weeks with 15-day footage availability, issue of member identity cards, no non-members/guests permitted to play, no games of chance or games with stakes, proper mechanism against unlawful play); jurisdictional police permitted periodic inspections and preserved liberty to act against unlawful activity in accordance with law.