In a much-needed intervention, the Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to the Centre over a petition demanding an outright ban on illegal betting apps, and the regulation of the murky, exploitative world of online gaming disguised as “fantasy sports.”
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N.K. Singh has sought the Union government’s response but has refrained, for now, from involving state governments in the process.
The petition, filed under a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The petitioner, described as a humanitarian and President of the Global Peace Initiative, claims he filed the PIL to protect India’s democratic fabric and future generations from a digital gambling epidemic.
Let’s call a spade a spade. These betting and so-called “fantasy” gaming apps are little more than digital casinos, dressed up with cricket and celebrity endorsements to make them palatable. That too, with the backing of Bollywood stars, social media influencers, and even former cricketers—who are happy to pocket crores while pushing the youth into debt traps. Telangana Police had even registered an FIR against 25 such influencers earlier this year.
The petition also drew the Court’s attention to the tragic suicides of 24 individuals in Telangana, who fell into despair after drowning in debt from online betting platforms. Each one of those deaths is a brutal indictment of how far these shady businesses have penetrated our society—and how unregulated they remain.
Let’s not forget: Gambling is outlawed in many Indian states under the Public Gambling Act of 1867. But like many colonial-era laws, this one too has loopholes wide enough to drive a truck through—especially when it comes to online platforms. The lack of a uniform central law has given these platforms free rein to target every smartphone user in India.
In the name of “fantasy sports,” these apps promote speculative addiction and financial recklessness. They are not “games of skill” as their lobbyists claim—they are games of chance, designed to benefit a few while devastating millions. If the Centre fails to act now, the consequences will not be limited to individual losses but will seep into the larger economy and social fabric of the country.
This isn’t just a legal matter—it’s a civilisational concern. Digital gambling is the new opium of the masses, eroding values, draining wallets, and pushing India’s youth into cycles of poverty and escapism. This must be viewed not just as a regulatory issue, but as a national threat. Just as we have taken a hard line on drugs, terrorism, and fake news, we must treat online betting apps with the same seriousness.
It’s time for the Government of India to rise to the occasion. A comprehensive central legislation, stricter surveillance of digital platforms. India cannot afford to be a silent spectator while a new generation is being digitally enslaved under the garb of gaming.
