The Supreme Court on Monday transferred, to itself, petitions pending before different High Courts challenging the constitutional validity of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025.
The
newly enacted Online Gaming Act bans all forms of real-money games in the country while regulating and promoting social, educational and esports games.
A bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K.V. Viswanathan allowed the transfer petition filed by the Union government seeking transfer of the petitions pending before the Delhi, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh High Courts to the apex court to avoid multiplicity of litigation.
"The proceedings from Karnataka, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh High Courts stand transferred to this Court. Respective High Courts are directed to transfer entire records with all interlocutory applications filed within one week," the Justice Pardiwala-led Bench ordered.
Once the entire records are transferred, it ordered the registry to list the matter before the apex court at the earliest.
"If the parties intend to file the writ petition with the entire record, they may do so with the registry," the bench clarified.
Last week, Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai agreed to urgently list the Centre’s transfer petition after the Union government pointed out that a petition against the Online Gaming Act before the Karnataka High Court is scheduled for interim orders. Recently, the Madhya Pradesh High Court asked the Centre to respond to a plea challenging the act for allegedly violating fundamental rights by imposing a blanket ban on "online money games", including judicially-recognised skill-based games.
Before this, the Karnataka High Court had also sought the Centre’s response to a petition by Head Digital, while an online carrom platform recently moved the Delhi High Court against the law.
During the recent Monsoon Session, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which was cleared by both Houses of Parliament and later received the President’s assent. Under the Online Gaming Act, entities which provide such services face severe penalties. This includes a fine of up to Rs 1 crore and imprisonment of up to three years. Promoting or advertising on such platforms can also result in fines of Rs 50 lakh and a two-year jail sentence.
Following the government's move, all online money gaming platforms, including Dream11, Pokerbazi, Rummy Circle and others, have discontinued their money gaming contests.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that the Bill would protect society from the negative impacts of online money games after Parliament approved it. A day after the Lok Sabha cleared the Bill in seven minutes, the Rajya Sabha passed it in just 26 minutes.
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