The recent Act on Online Gaming passed by both houses of the Parliament has banned real-money online games in India, which will include rummy, fantasy sports, and poker, irrespective of these games being games of skill. The justifications presented behind the law were public morality, the addictive nature of the games, and financial protection of the citizens of India. Though justification has been presented, the ban reflects hard paternalism, where the individual’s choice has been undermined and substituted by the judgment of the state. This article analyses the recently passed Act banning all real-money online games, criticizing the paternalistic stance by the state drawing an analogy with the attack on the decisional autonomy of women in reproductive matters. Though the comparison seems unconventional, in both contexts the intervention of the state strikes the individual autonomy of private decision-making. It raises significant questions about the liberty of the individuals. The reference to decisional autonomy of women in reproductive matters serves as a jurisprudential parallel in determining to what extent can the state in the name of protecting the interests of the people, regulate personal choices. The article suggests a more balanced model of governance that respects individual autonomy.

This article provides an overview of the role and legacy of Stanley Ho 何鴻燊 (1921–2020) in the history of casino games of chance in Macau. The focus is on the development of the Macau casino gaming industry and the important role he played. Stanley Ho arrived in Macau in 1941. Part I of this article mentions Stanley Ho’s various business activities during the war and in the 1950s, highlighting the reasons why he, together with other partners, decided to bid for the casino gaming monopoly in the 1961 public tender, which they won. Part II provides an overview of the STDM monopoly casino concession, which started on January 1, 1962, and lasted 40 years and 3 months until it ended, following major legal reforms and a public tender for three concessions, on March 31, 2002. This part emphasizes how the basic or fundamental features of the modern industry were laid out during this period. Part III discusses the loss of importance of SJM (STDM’s continuation as a concessionaire company from 2002 to today) in the face of intense competition since the end of the monopoly enacted in 2001. The final remarks affirm Stanley Ho’s key role and importance—adding that, in its early years and during the major turn to Baccarat, the driving force of gaming within STDM was Yip Hon (1904–1997), the real gaming expert in STDM, as recognized by Stanley Ho himself.