The Supreme Court of India has officially accepted a landmark public interest litigation (PIL) that seeks to comprehensively ban illegal gambling apps nationwide and impose stricter regulations on online gaming and fantasy sports platforms.
This case directly targets the current regulatory chaos in the Indian gambling industry, with the petitioner accusing numerous platforms of masquerading as "skill-based games" while in reality facilitating gambling, severely harming vulnerable social groups.
The litigation cites the Public Gambling Act of 1867, emphasizing that these activities are essentially games of chance rather than skill, and should therefore be subject to the existing gambling bans in various states.
The case has particularly drawn attention as the petition lists a "First Information Report" that specifically names 25 well-known artists, cricket stars, and internet celebrities, accusing them of misleading the public through endorsements of gambling apps.
India currently lacks a unified federal legislation to regulate online gambling, leading to inconsistent regulatory standards across states, providing opportunities for illegal apps. This is the second recent intervention by the Supreme Court in gambling-related disputes, with the court already beginning to hear debates on the taxation of gambling and so-called skill games.
The public interest litigation strongly urges the Supreme Court to direct the government to establish a comprehensive legal framework to effectively control online gambling, fantasy sports, and gaming platforms, while also highlighting the role of celebrity endorsements in normalizing potentially harmful behaviors.
This case is expected to spark widespread discussion on deep-seated issues such as digital consumer rights protection, advertising ethical standards, and the legal definitions of gambling versus skill games, with the ruling potentially reshaping the multi-billion dollar digital gambling industry in India.
