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ABGP Joins Supreme Court Battle Over New Online Gaming Ban

In a significant development with high stakes for the Indian digital economy and consumer welfare, the national consumer body Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) has formally moved the Supreme Court to intervene in the petitions challenging the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. The intervention comes as the Apex Court prepares to adjudicate the constitutional validity of the controversial new law, which has been severely contested by online gaming operators.

The ABGP has filed an application requesting the Supreme Court to implead it as a respondent in the consolidated case (Head Digital Works Pvt. Ltd. & Anr vs Union of India). The consumer body’s central argument is to present the societal and economic harms of online money gaming, a perspective they deem essential for the court’s consideration of this matter of national importance.

The consumer body cited its long-standing campaign against the deleterious effects of online money gaming in India. The law, which the Supreme Court transferred to itself on September 8, 2025, effectively imposes a blanket ban on all forms of online games—both skill and chance—if played for monetary stakes.

The ABGP’s application highlights several key issues that negatively impact consumers:

  • Psychological Tactics: The petition notes that daily fantasy sports and similar platforms use psychological tactics such as instant gratification cycles, targeted advertisements, and bonus offers to foster compulsive behaviour and gaming addiction, particularly among the youth.
  • Celebrity Misguidance: The ABGP strongly condemns the use of celebrity endorsements. It points out that prominent film stars and athletes earn crores to endorse these platforms, which misleads millions of young people into perceiving these games as harmless entertainment or an easy way to make money.
  • Weakening the Act: The consumer body explicitly warned the court that weakening the core prohibitive provisions of the Act—specifically Sections 2(1)(g), 5, 6, 7, and 9—would render the legislation “toothless” and expose the country to serious vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, the ABGP frames unchecked online money gaming as a potential national security concern. The body’s petition brings attention to reports alleging the use of such platforms for financial fraud, money laundering, and even potential terror financing.

The Supreme Court, which had recently heard the batch of petitions on October 6, is now expected to proceed with the final hearing after all pleadings are completed, with the matter tentatively listed for the first week of November 2025. The inclusion of the ABGP is crucial as it introduces a significant consumer protection element to the legal challenge, which primarily focuses on the industry’s fundamental rights arguments.

Key Highlights:

  1. Consumer Body Intervention: The Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), a consumer body, formally intervened in the Supreme Court case challenging the constitutional validity of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025.
  2. Societal Focus: ABGP’s intervention aims to present the perspective of societal harm, highlighting issues like gaming addiction, psychological manipulation, and financial distress caused by online money games.
  3. Critique of Endorsements: The body strongly criticized the role of celebrity endorsements by film stars and athletes, arguing they mislead youth into perceiving real-money games as harmless or easy ways to earn money.
  4. Security Concern: The ABGP also raised the serious issues of money laundering, financial fraud, and potential terror financing through unchecked online gaming, urging the court not to dilute the Act’s key prohibitive sections.
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