The Supreme Court has taken cognisance of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a blanket ban on online betting applications, which the petitioner described as “illegal” and harmful to India’s democratic and social fabric. On Friday, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N.K. Singh issued a notice to the Central government to furnish its response, though it chose not to involve the state governments at this stage.
The PIL, filed by a petitioner identifying himself as a “prominent social activist” and President of the Global Peace Initiative, argues that unregulated betting and gambling platforms — often disguised as fantasy sports and skill-based games — pose a severe risk to Indian youth and demand urgent legislative intervention, reported ANI.
Petition Highlights Suicide Cases, FIRs Against Celebrities
Citing disturbing developments, the plea drew attention to an FIR lodged in Telangana earlier this year that named 25 public figures — including Bollywood actors, cricketers, and digital influencers — accused of endorsing betting apps and thereby allegedly misleading the public.
The petition further referenced a news report that documented 24 suicide cases in Telangana, all allegedly linked to mounting debts from online betting losses. These examples, the petitioner contended, underline the social and psychological toll of unchecked digital gambling platforms.
“It is filed in the interest of millions of people and to protect the sanity and democracy in India by banning ‘illegal’ betting apps,” the PIL asserted.
Call For Central Law To Tackle Digital Gambling
The petitioner urged the Supreme Court to direct the Centre to draft and enforce a comprehensive legislation governing online betting, fantasy sports, and related activities. He contended that current regulations are insufficient and fragmented, relying on outdated frameworks such as the Public Gambling Act, 1867.
“That betting, both online and offline, is inherently a game of chance, not a game of skill, and hence falls within the ambit of gambling, which is prohibited in many states under the Public Gambling Act, 1867,” the petition stated, emphasising the absence of a unified national policy on the matter.
He added that the plea was submitted “in the larger public interest to safeguard the youth of India from the unregulated, exploitative, and dangerous online betting industry operating under the garb of fantasy sports and skill-based gaming.”
The petitioner also described his international peace work, claiming to have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by several countries, including the US, Norway, Sudan, and India. He said he has helped stop numerous wars and rescued hundreds of orphaned and street children globally.
The case now awaits the Centre’s formal response before the next hearing.
