Overview
- In a November 25 filing, the Centre told the Supreme Court that unregulated real-money online gaming is linked to money laundering and terror financing as it defended Parliament’s nationwide ban.
- The affidavit said the government is prepared to place classified material, including Suspicious Transaction Reports and cross-border transfer data, before the bench in a sealed cover.
- Officials cited a surge from one STR enquiry in 2019–20 to 239 in 2023–24 involving 7,056 accounts, with outward remittances via gaming channels topping ₹5,700 crore in FY 2023–24.
- Investigators reported the use of proxy accounts and money mules recruited via social media, offshore registrations, shell entities, crypto layering and hawala routes to move illicit funds.
- Arguing Parliament’s competence under Entries 31 and 97, the Centre framed prohibition as a reasonable restriction for national security, public order and public health, noted addiction and suicide data from multiple states, and stressed the law covers only money games and is not yet notified.