Nikita Luther is India’s top poker player, the first woman and second player from the country to win a bracelet at the World Series of Poker, the game’s top competition. Yet at 30, her career stands at a crossroads. Luther’s skills are not in doubt, but the future of poker in India is.
A wave of laws and regulations introduced by multiple states across the country recently threatens to kill large parts of a rapidly growing online gaming industry, including popular card games like poker and rummy. The argument of each of the state governments is essentially the same: The laws passed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and a regulation introduced by Kerala are aimed at stamping out gambling.
