The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday has approved amendments to AP Gaming Act 1974 to ban online gambling games like Rummy and Poker.

Under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the state cabinet took the decision to ban online gambling, said Information Minister Perni Venkataramaiah adding that online gambling has become a vice that was damaging the youth by 'misleading' them.

"So we have decided to ban all such online gambling to protect the youth," he said.

According to the minister, organizers of online gambling would be jailed for a year for a first time offence and would go upto two years with fine for the second offence.

Additionally, six months imprisonment will be imposed on anyone caught playing the online games.