Supreme Court to Hear Petitions on Online Gaming Ban in India in October

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 has left real money gaming in India frozen since late August. The law, which is still awaiting notification, bans every kind of money-based play, whether it is based on skill or chance. With platforms shut down and jobs at risk, the industry now turns to the Supreme Court.

Good to know

• Supreme Court will hear petitions on October 7, 2025.
• Petitioners include Head Digital Works (A23), Clubboom 11 Sports and Entertainment, and Bagheera Carrom.
• Cases have been transferred from several High Courts to the Supreme Court for one consolidated hearing.

By treating skill games and chance games in the same way, the Act prohibits poker, rummy, fantasy sports, and even online carrom when played for stakes. Leading operators such as A23 suspended services in the third week of August, leaving employees, suppliers, and gaming partners in uncertainty across India.

Petitions had been filed in multiple states, creating a fragmented legal picture. The Union government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, requested that all cases be consolidated. The Supreme Court agreed and ordered digital transfer of records from Delhi, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh High Courts.

The matter is now scheduled before a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Vishwanathan. Justice Pardiwala had previously overseen transfer of related cases to the apex court.

Lawyers for petitioner companies highlighted the urgency of the matter during a brief hearing last Friday. A23 counsel stressed that companies had already been forced to suspend all operations in India.

“Our operations have been shut down. Our petition was originally before the Karnataka High Court, but it was moved here at the instance of the Centre. We are seeking an urgent hearing,” the lawyer stated.

Following this submission, the bench granted an early listing and confirmed October 7 as the date for the hearing.

The petitions will test whether India can enforce a blanket prohibition on real money gaming. Operators argue that skill-based formats should not be treated the same as gambling, pointing to past High Court judgments in states such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The Union government maintains that a unified nationwide framework is essential for clarity and consistency. The outcome of the October hearing will shape the legal and business landscape for online games in India.

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