Overview
- Notices were issued to the Union government on a PIL alleging roughly 2,000 betting apps still operate under the guise of e‑sports or social games, with the case tagged to challenges to the 2025 law.
- The Court directed a comprehensive response from the Centre and listed detailed arguments for Nov. 26 before Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan.
- Government counsel said the reliefs sought are covered by the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which has not yet been operationalised.
- During hearings, the bench indicated regular competitions and tournaments may fall outside the statute’s definition of betting and gambling, after a chess player raised livelihood concerns.
- The PIL by CASC seeks Section 69A blocking orders, RBI/NPCI payment restrictions, stricter app‑store compliance, recovery of taxes from offshore operators, and protection of children’s data.