Supreme Court Debates Crackdown on Online Gambling

A Supreme Court plea requests government intervention to ban online gambling disguised as social games. It calls for action against offshore entities for tax evasion and demands tighter controls from national financial bodies. The plea highlights the economic and social harms, urging robust regulation under the new Online Gaming Act.

The Supreme Court has recently been approached with a plea urging the prohibition of online gambling platforms, which allegedly operate under the guise of social and e-sports games. This plea, submitted by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), seeks explicit directions to curb the proliferation of such online platforms.

Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan, acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations, have requested the central government to respond to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The hearing is slated to continue after a two-week period to allow the government ample time to analyze and provide a detailed response.

The plea urges an inter-ministerial collaboration to enforce the newly minted Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. It highlights economic implications, citing unpaid taxes exceeding Rs 2 lakh crore in connection to these businesses. Additionally, it raises concerns of societal impacts such as mental health issues, addiction, and potential threats to national security.

(With inputs from agencies.)