Supreme Court Centralizes Online Gaming Act Challenge

The Supreme Court has assumed authority over petitions disputing the constitutional validity of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. This strategic move by a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan aims to centralize these legal precedents from disparate High Courts across the country.

The government sought this consolidation to streamline and unify the legal proceedings, which were scattered across the Delhi High Court, the Karnataka High Court, and the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Each of these jurisdictions was handling petitions filed by online skill-gaming companies contesting the 2025 Act.

In its directive, the top court stated that the respective High Courts must digitally transfer all relevant records, including interlocutory applications, to expedite the process. The Online Gaming Act, enacted on August 22, imposes a national ban on online gambling for money, criminalizing both participation and facilitation of such activities, whether they involve skill or chance-based games.

(With inputs from agencies.)