New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday said that it will hear on November 4 a batch of petitions transferred to it from various High Courts, challenging the constitutional validity of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025.

The Act, which was cleared by Parliament earlier this year, prohibits all forms of “online money games” and restricts banking, advertising, and other related services, while promoting and regulating social, educational, and esports-based gaming.

The matter was mentioned for urgent hearing before a Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan by senior advocates C. Aryaman Sundaram and Arvind P. Datar, appearing for petitioners whose cases were earlier pending before different High Courts.

Sundaram submitted that the issue had already been mentioned before the Chief Justice of India (CJI) for urgent listing.

“My instructing Advocate-on-Record had mentioned the matter before the learned CJI, who observed that it would be in the fitness of things if this Bench were to direct that the matter be taken up on November 4 as scheduled,” he said.

In response, Justice Pardiwala said, “Then we will hear it.” Earlier on September 8, the Supreme Court had transferred to itself multiple petitions pending before the Delhi, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh High Courts challenging the constitutional validity of the Online Gaming Act.

The Union government had sought the transfer to avoid multiplicity of proceedings across different courts.

“The proceedings from Karnataka, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh High Courts stand transferred to this Court. Respective High Courts are directed to transfer entire records with all interlocutory applications filed within one week,” the apex court had ordered, directing that the matter be listed before the apex court once the complete records were received.

Several online gaming companies, including Dream11, Pokerbazi, and Rummy Circle, have already discontinued their real-money contests following the enforcement of the new law.

Under the Act, offering or promoting such games attracts severe penalties — including fines of up to Rs 1 crore and imprisonment of up to three years.

During the Monsoon Session, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced the Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha in seven minutes and cleared by the Rajya Sabha in just 26 minutes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the legislation would protect society from the adverse impact of online money games.

–IANS

pds/rad