The Supreme Court has sought the Centre’s intervention in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) aimed at banning online gambling and betting platforms that operate under the guise of social and e-sports games, seeking government assistance for the case.
The Supreme Court requested assistance from the Centre regarding a petition aimed at banning online gambling and betting platforms that reportedly disguise themselves as social and e-sports games.
A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan instructed the petitioner’s counsel to provide a copy of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to the government’s legal representative.
The bench stated,
“We request VC Bharathi to look into the petition and assist us on the next date of hearing. List after two weeks,”
The plea was filed by the think tank Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), which seeks to prohibit online gambling and betting platforms operating under the guise of social and e-sports games.
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The petition also calls for directives to the RBI, NPCI, and UPI platforms to block any financial transactions related to unregistered gaming applications. It requests tax recovery and investigations through Interpol, CBI, and ED against offshore gaming companies, which are estimated to owe over Rs.2 lakh crore in unpaid taxes.
Additionally, the plea seeks directions to various Union ministries including Electronics and Information Technology, Information and Broadcasting, Finance, and Youth Affairs and Sports to interpret the provisions of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, in conjunction with state laws to ban online gambling and betting games disguised as social and e-sports games.
This Act aims to establish a comprehensive framework for promoting safe digital recreation while prohibiting harmful practices associated with online money games.
The petition names six respondents, including four Union ministries and leading app store operators, Apple Inc. and Google India Pvt. Ltd.
CASC urges the Supreme Court to take action against the rise of betting and gambling applications, which they argue are causing significant social and economic damage throughout the country.
The PIL claimed,
“Betting and gambling are regarded as unlawful activities in the majority of the states in India. Several cases are contested in high courts wherein affidavits were filed by the government and gaming platforms. Upon analysing the same, it is reported that more than 65 crore persons are playing such games, creating an annual business of more than Rs.1.8 lakh crores for these platforms in India,”
The petition asserts that nearly half of the Indian population engages in online gaming, resulting in adverse effects on society, the economy, and national security. It emphasizes that the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, was introduced to safeguard society and combat the growing issue of online gambling.
The plea describes the unchecked growth of online gaming as a national crisis impacting half of India’s population, leading to financial devastation, mental health problems, and even suicides.
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It seeks a nationwide ban on online gambling and betting platforms that operate as esports or social games. One of the requests is for blocking orders under Section 69A of the IT Act against all illegal betting sites and apps.
The PIL also calls for measures to protect the data of minors already collected by online gaming companies. It alleges that prominent cricketers and film stars endorse these illegal games, contributing to cyber fraud, addiction, mental health disorders, and suicides.
Furthermore, the petition claims that the fraud and cheating algorithms make it impossible to identify the players, suggesting potential money laundering activities disguised as online gaming.
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