The Supreme Court is examining a petition for a complete restriction on online gaming and betting. The move comes amid concerns over gambling disguised as e-sports.
The Supreme Court agreed to examine a PIL. The petition alleges that gambling and betting websites are thriving under the guise of social and e-sports games. It asked the Union government whether it can completely ban online gaming and betting platforms.
A bench of justices JP Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan asked the Centre to assist the court on the issue. The bench requested the petitioner organization, Centre for Accountability and Systematic Change (CASC), to share the complete case file. The petitioner organization should share it with VC Bharathi, the panel counsel for the Union government. Moreover, the bench directed the court staff to list the matter again in two weeks.
In its brief order, the bench said it requests Mr. Bharathi to review the petition. He is to assist the court at the next hearing.
Advocates Virag Gupta and Rupali Panwar represented CASC, a public policy think tank. The organization seeks directions for a nationwide ban on online gambling and betting platforms. It claims that many of these platforms continue to operate under the guise of social or e-sports gaming apps.
Advocate Vishal Arun Mishra filed the plea. He has also asked the court to clarify the scope of the newly enacted Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. Additionally, he requested the government to interpret it in harmony with state laws that prohibit gambling and betting.
Even as it handles multiple petitions on the constitutional validity of the 2025 law, the October 17 proceedings marked the Supreme Court’s first step in directly examining whether the Centre can impose a complete ban on online betting and gambling platforms. The outcome could define the future of the fast-growing but controversial online gaming industry of India, which sits at the intersection of technology, entertainment and regulation.
