The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Union of India, seeking its response on a public interest litigation filed by an NGO demanding a nationwide prohibition on online gambling and betting platforms allegedly operating under the guise of social and e-sports gaming applications.

A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan directed that the plea be tagged with the batch of petitions challenging the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (Online Gaming Act).

Quoting the order, the Court said:

“According to the petitioner, there are about two thousand apps as on date operating online relating to betting and gambling. The petitioner wants the government to take immediate action in this regard in larger public interest affecting the youth more particularly of the nation. Issue notice. Let an appropriate reply be filed to the petition.”

The petition, filed by the NGO Centre for Accountability Systemic Change (CASC), seeks directions to the Centre to harmoniously interpret the Online Gaming Act, 2025, and existing State laws to curb online gambling and betting activities camouflaged as e-sports or social gaming.

The petitioner has also urged the Court to direct the Union Government to invoke Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, to block unlawful betting and gambling websites and mobile applications operating within India.

Further, the plea calls for directions to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), and other UPI platforms to prohibit financial transactions linked to unregistered online money games. It also seeks nationwide implementation of provisions similar to the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gaming Act, 2022, and the application of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA) to tackle the rising menace of online betting and money laundering.

In addition, the petitioner requests that Google and Apple be directed to strictly adhere to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, by hosting only licensed and law-compliant gaming apps. It further seeks recovery of GST and income tax dues from offshore gaming companies, with enforcement by agencies such as the ED and CBI in coordination with Interpol, and protection of children’s data collected by gaming operators.

Appearing for the Union of India, Advocate VC Bharathi informed the bench that most of the reliefs sought by the petitioner are already addressed under the new Online Gaming Act, 2025, which is yet to come into force.

After hearing the submissions, the Court issued notice and directed the matter to be heard along with the pending batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Online Gaming Act.

The Online Gaming Act, 2025, passed by Parliament on August 21 and receiving Presidential assent on August 22, is itself under challenge on the ground that it imposes an overbroad prohibition on skill-based online games, including e-sports, thereby violating Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution.

Case Title: Centre for Accountability Systemic Change (CASC) & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.
Case No.: Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1008/2025