India’s Supreme Court seeks government response on online gambling ban request | AGB
Summary
India’s Supreme Court has started hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) seeking a nationwide ban on online gambling platforms that it says hide behind social and eSports games. The petitioner argues the recently enacted Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 — effective 1 October 2025 — fails to close a legal gap that lets gambling-like social games operate outside real-money gaming restrictions.
At the first hearing a two-judge bench (Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Vishwanathan) asked the federal government to examine the petition and submit a response. The plea names six respondents including multiple central ministries and platform stores (Apple India and Google India), and calls for tougher action on offshore betting sites, celebrity endorsements, and payment flows via banks, the RBI and UPI operators. Further hearings are expected in the coming weeks.
Key Points
- The PIL by CASC asks the Supreme Court to order a nationwide prohibition on online gambling disguised as social or eSports games.
- The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 bans real-money “money games” but is alleged to leave a loophole for social gaming with gambling mechanics.
- The Supreme Court has asked the central government to review the petition and respond.
- Respondents named include the Ministries of Electronics & IT, Information & Broadcasting, Finance, Youth Affairs & Sports, and platform operators Apple India and Google India.
- The petition urges tougher enforcement against offshore betting platforms, stricter controls on celebrity endorsements, and blocking payments to unregistered gaming sites via RBI and UPI measures.
- A Supreme Court decision could materially affect regulation and commercial operations across India’s fast-growing digital gaming sector.
Why should I read this?
Quick and blunt: if you work in gaming, payments, app stores, or regulation in India (or follow the sector), this could change the rulebook. The Supreme Court poking at gaps in the new federal law means possible tighter enforcement, payment blocks, and liability for platforms — so it’s worth a couple of minutes to know what might shift next.
Author’s take
Punchy: This isn’t just another legal filing. The Supreme Court asking the government to respond elevates the debate from state-level patchwork to a potential nationwide rewrite of how social and real-money games are treated. Companies, regulators and payment providers should be watching closely — the outcome could force rapid compliance moves or business-model changes.