NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Union of India and sought its response in a petition filed by an NGO seeking a nationwide ban on online gambling and betting platforms allegedly operating under the guise of social and e-sports games. “
According to the petitioner, there are about two thousand apps as on date operating online relating to betting and gambling. “The petitioner want 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 Court ordered.
A bench of 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).
The NGO has filed the writ petition seeking directions to the Union Government to harmoniously interpret the provisions of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, and State laws to prohibit online gambling and betting games running as social and e-sports platforms.
The plea also seeks directions to the Union to issue blocking orders under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, against all unlawful betting and gambling platforms operating in India.
Further, the petitioner has prayed that the Reserve Bank of India, NPCI, and other UPI platforms be directed not to allow transactions related to online money games that are not registered in India.
The petition also seeks nationwide adoption of stringent provisions similar to the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gaming Act, 2022, and the application of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999, to combat online gambling and betting activities.
