Overview

• A division bench led by Justices SM Subramaniam and K Rajasekar rejected petitions from major platforms including WinZO, Games24x7, Junglee Games and Head Digital Works.
• The court held that privacy rights are not absolute and can be curtailed by reasonable restrictions under Articles 19(2) and 21 to prevent social harm.
• It affirmed key measures such as barring play between midnight and 5 AM, mandatory Aadhaar-based KYC, age and spending limits, regular caution messages and clear disclosure of deposits.
• Judges cited expert findings that at least 47 suicides in Tamil Nadu between 2019 and 2024 were linked to online gaming addiction.
• The verdict reinforces state authority over online gaming, delivers a setback to industry operations in Tamil Nadu and may guide similar rules in other states.