Recent Indian gambling regulation might threaten the livelihood of Indian poker player Nikita Luther

Nikita Luther is often referred to as the “Superwoman” of Indian Poker. She won a gold bracelet at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) cementing her reputation as one of the best Poker players in India.

However, the current gambling laws in India and potential future ones, are threatening to derail her already successful Poker career. At least if she plans to continue playing online from India.

At the heart of it all is the fact that as things stand in India, poker is not considered a game of skill.

Unless Luther and other Indian-based poker players can convince the different states and the country as a whole that it is, she may just have to pack her chips and look to play online poker elsewhere.

Who is Nikita Luther?

Based in Delhi, 30-year-old Nikita Luther started playing Poker professionally in 2015.

Before she decided to become a full-time rounder, Ms Luther completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Delhi University, and later started a career in marketing. But soon a new hobby would change the course of her life.

Nikita’s first taste of the game was playing Poker on Zynga. While initially only playing the game for free, she decided to take the leap toward playing Poker for real money at a friend’s birthday party.

The rest, as they say, is history. In June 2018, Nikita took home a WSOP gold bracelet in Vegas after winning the $1,000 NLH Tag Team Event alongside Giuseppe Pantaleo, a German player. It was only the second time that an Indian player was awarded the prestigious prize, and the first time for an Indian woman.

The duo took home $175,805, around ₹1.3 crore, making Nikita about $88,000 richer. They knocked out 1,032 players to claim the prize.

On winning the bracelet, Nikita has said, “The most memorable moment for me was getting a chance to hoist the Indian flag as many sports persons have done before – to make my country proud.”

An uphill battle to prove poker is a game of skill like Rummy

But there are challenges when playing Poker from inside India.

Recently new laws have been introduced in several states across the country to try and combat the perceived problem of gambling, especially online. These regulations affect games like Poker and rummy.

One of the biggest issues faced by the industry is that  these rules don’t distinguish between games of skill and games of chance. Under these laws there is no difference between a random game like slots and a skilled game like Poker.

Laws have been passed in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh that fully outlaw gambling in the state, regardless of the type of game or if it is played in person or online.

At a national level, games of chance, like slots, are illegal. But according to the country’s highest court, games of skill are allowed. It’s under this same national law that betting on horseracing is seen as legal in most of the country as it is deemed a game of skill.

To Poker players like Nikita Luther, it is essential that these restrictive laws don’t become more commonplace.

Nikita has found the best way of combating this is through educating people. She has committed a lot of her time researching and studying the aspects of Poker that make it a game of skill.

“The skills involve intricate concepts of mathematics, probability, game theory, strategy and psychology,” she adds.

The future of Poker in India

At the end of the day, no one can question Luther’s Poker skills, she has more than proved herself. What is in question is the future of Poker in India.

According to a research article conducted by SevenJackpots casino the ideal way forward is striking a balance between government control and player freedom. Outright bans tend to drive players towards the black market and put players at risk. Regulating licensed casinos assists with consumer protection and increases responsible gaming.

According to Roland Landers, the CEO of the AIGF (All India Gambling Association), a blanket ban on gambling is not the right way to move forward. “We strongly believe that the way forward is effective regulation or self-regulation, not prohibition,” he told Al Jazeera.

The gambling industry will have positive financial effects within both tax revenue and job creation. Projections by the AIGF suggest that the industry will employ around 40,000 people in India by 2023.

Nikita and AIGF are working tirelessly to challenge the restrictive laws passed. Tamil Nadu’s top court, the Madras High court, have thrown out the law, but the state has approached India’s Supreme Court in the hopes of reintroducing the laws.

While these decisions are being made, the future of playing games like Poker for real money, in India, hangs in the balance.