Content Writer: Janice Chew • Sunday, 25/10/2025 - 21:53:09 - PM
The Supreme Court of India (SC) has taken up a petition seeking a nationwide ban on online gambling and betting platforms that ostensibly function under the guise of e-sports and social gaming. The petition was filed by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), which argues that these platforms exploit legal gaps, resulting in “widespread social and economic harm”. The petition names multiple Union ministries and the app store operators Google India Pvt. Ltd. and Apple Inc. as respondents, asking for a direction to interpret the recently enacted Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (POGA 2025) in a manner that prohibits online money-games.
In its recent hearing, a bench consisting of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Vishwanathan described the issue as “important” and asked the government’s counsel to study the petition and respond. The petition emphasizes that the domain falls into a legal vacuum: though about 1,528 gaming apps have reportedly been blocked under IT intermediary rules, there is no clear legislative prohibition on online gambling and betting via these platforms.
At the core of the matter is the POGA 2025, which for the first time aims to regulate India’s online gaming ecosystem. The Act prohibits “online money games” played for stakes or deposits, but the petitioners argue that it fails to reconcile with state-gambling laws under the Constitution’s State List, and that lumping games of “skill” together with games of “chance” raises constitutional and livelihood concerns. The impending government response before the Supreme Court will help determine how the law will be interpreted and enforced — whether there will be a blanket ban or a more nuanced regulatory approach for different types of online games.