JUDGMENT :

JAGMOHAN BANSAL, J.

1. As common issues are involved in the captioned petitions, with the consent of both sides, the same are hereby disposed of by this common order. For the sake of brevity and convenience, facts are borrowed from CWP No.18466 of 2025.

2. The petitioner through instant petition under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India is seeking directions to respondents to issue ‘No Objection Certificate’ for conducting games of skill such as poker and rummy. It is further seeking directions to respondents not to interfere in its activities relating to games namely poker and rummy.

3. The petitioner is engaged in the business of gaming. It claims that poker and rummy games should be excluded from the purview of Haryana Prevention of Public Gambling Act, 2025 (for short ‘Gambling Act’). Karnataka High Court in Tilt Room Recreation Society v. State of Karnataka and others, Writ Petition No.55798/2017 (GM-Police) has already allowed writ petition filed by Tilt Room Poker Club. The petitioner has filed representations with respondents seeking ‘No Objection Certificate’ for conducting games of skill such as poker and rummy.

4. On 07.07.2025, this Court passed the following order:

“The representation of the petitioner was not decided by the respondents, which has caused the grievance to the petitioner, propelling him to file the instant writ petition, cast under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India, seeking a writ of mandamus, upon the respondents, to decide his representation, in a time bound manner.

Learned counsel for the petitioner inter alia submits that the petitioner wishes to run his Poker Club. However, he has an apprehension that the local administration, would create an unnecessary hindrance, in operating of the said Club, assuming the games of Poker and Rummy, as gambling. He further submits that Poker and Rummy, does not fall within the ambits of The Haryana Prevention of Public Gambling Act, 2025, rather these are the games of skill.

This Court has put a specific query to learned counsel for the petitioner, as to whether, the respondent State, has notified, that Poker and Rummy, are the games of skill, as defined under Section 2(g) of The Haryana Prevention of Public Gambling Act, 2025, to which he answered that he is not aware about any such notification, and seeks an adjournment to apprise this Court, in this regard.

The asked for request is accepted.

List this matter on 06.11.2025, for arguments.

5. The aforesaid order was followed by order dated 13.01.2026 which reads as:

“Learned senior counsel for the petitioner has invited the attention of the Court to communication dated 13.10.2025, Annexure R-1, addressed by the Additional Chief Secretary to Government Haryana to the Commissioner of Police, Gurugram. The relevant extract of the communication is reproduced hereunder:

“2. In this regard, it is informed that Government has not issued any notification under Section 2(1)(g) of the Haryana Prevention of Public Gambling Act, 2025 till date for exempting any game from the purview of the Act being "Game of Skill”. Further, it is intimated that vide letter dated 28.05.2025, the Director General of Police, Haryana has been requested to send proposal to the government citing the names/categories of games which may be notified as "Games of Skill" under Section 2(1)(g) of the Haryana Prevention of Public Gambling Act, 2025 for the purpose of exempting them from the purview of the Act. The proposal/report in this regard is still awaited.

Sd/-

Superintendent, Home Confidential

for Additional Chief Secretary to Government Haryana,

Home Department.”

State counsel has been confronted with the communication and he requests for deferment to file an additional affidavit.

List on 23.03.2026.”

6. Written Statement filed by respondent No.4 in CWP No.6891 of 2026 is taken on record. Registry is directed to tag the same at an appropriate place.

7. As per reply filed by respondent-State, Union of India has enacted Promotion a