India’s Supreme Court Seeks Government Assistance in PIL to Ban Online Gambling Platforms Disguised as Social or Esports Games

A bench of the Supreme Court of India has formally asked the central government to assist in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) that seeks a nationwide ban on online gambling and betting platforms allegedly operating under the guise of social games or esports competitions.

The order, issued by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan on 23 October 2025, directed CASC’s counsel to serve a copy of the PIL to the government’s advocate and asked that the government submit its response ahead of the next hearing scheduled in about two weeks.
The plea names six respondents — four Union ministries (Electronics & Information Technology, Information & Broadcasting, Finance, Youth Affairs & Sports) and two major app-store operators: Apple Inc. and Google India Pvt Ltd. 

Key demands in the PIL include:

• Directing the government and regulators such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and UPI-platforms to block monetary transactions ▸ linked to unregistered gaming apps.
• Issuing blocking orders under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 against unlawful online gambling and betting platforms.
• Harmonising the newly enacted Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 with existing state laws to ensure that platforms disguised as “social games” or “esports” cannot evade regulation.
  
  

The PIL emphasises the scale of the problem — it claims that more than 650 million Indians participate in such games, generating over ₹1.8 lakh crore (≈ US$20 billion) annually, and it warns of harmful social, economic and security consequences.

Observers say this development marks a major turning point for India’s online-gaming policy. After the August 2025 passage of the Online Gaming Act, this PIL underscores the judiciary’s readiness to hold the government accountable for enforcement and to clamp down on grey-market platforms.

The next hearing is expected in November 2025, with special focus on the government’s preparedness to act and whether it will present concrete measures to regulate or block grey-market gaming apps.