Chennai, Apr 15 (IANS): PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Friday urged the Tamil Nadu government to enact a revised law to ban online gambling immediately and prevent further loss of lives.

He said a food sector employee committed suicide recently after running up huge debt by gambling online. This is the third death in the last one week.

If the online gambling is not banned, then such suicides will become a daily occurrence.

He wondered whether the Tamil Nadu government is going to remain silent on the suicides citing an appeal in the apex court.

Ramadoss said online gambling is resulting in higher damages to society than alcohol and the lottery.

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK Coordinator O. Panneerselvam on Wednesday said that online gaming is nothing but gambling pointing out the warning note in the advertisements by online gaming companies.

He urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to enact a law banning online gaming or appeal against the High Court's order that scrapped such a law brought in by the earlier AIADMK government.

Recently, AIADMK Coordinator and former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam citing the luring advertisements by online gaming companies announcing that the players can earn upto Rs 2,000 crore and also the warning note stating that there are financial implications for the players and the gaming can turn into a compulsive habit/addiction, said this proves it is only gambling.

Panneerselvam said several people have committed suicide in the state after losing money in online games and the AIADMK government had brought in a law banning such games in 2021.

However, the Madras High Court in a case filed by an online gaming company scrapped the law the same year, saying that it goes against the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, he said.

The High Court, however, said there is no bar on the state to enact a law against the games within the law, Panneerselvam added.