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Acting on the request, the CJI on Thursday, December 11, directed that the batch of petitions be listed before a three-judge bench for hearing in January 2026, marking the first time that the apex court will debate the industry’s challenge. Although several petitions have been pending for months, the top court is yet to hear the parties seeking interim relief against the new law.
“I will list it before a three-judge bench in January and the composition of the bench etc. will be in effect by then,” the CJI said.
The petitions challenge the Online Gaming Promotion and Regulation Act, 2025, which bans online money games and imposes jail terms and fines for violations. The law prohibits platforms from offering or advertising any online money games and mandates heavy fines and possible imprisonment for repeat offenders.
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Gaming firms argue that the ban enacted by Parliament eliminates the distinction between games of skill and games of chance, a distinction that has been upheld in many judicial precedents. They argue that the law violates the right to trade, undermines a sector that has attracted significant investment and threatens thousands of jobs.
In previous proceedings, Supreme Court The Center was directed to file a comprehensive response to the challenges after several companies sought clarity on compliance and requested a stay on enforcement. The petitioners said that in the absence of interim protections, they have been forced to suspend operations, causing “irreparable harm” to businesses that previously operated under the established regulatory mechanism.
The Online Gaming Act, which came into effect on October 1, 2025, imposed a complete ban on online money gaming and empowered the government to make additional rules. The legislation followed concerns related to addiction, financial loss, and the need for uniform national regulation.
With the Supreme Court now fixing January 2026 for the hearing of the consolidated petitions, the long-running legal battle over India’s online gaming framework has reached a decisive stage.