New Delhi, September 8 (HS): The Supreme Court has ordered the transfer of all petitions challenging laws regulating online gaming, pending before various High Courts, to itself for hearing. The directive was issued by a Bench headed by Justice J.B. Pardiwala on a plea filed by the Central Government.

The Union Government had sought transfer of cases filed in different High Courts to the apex court to avoid conflicting judgments on the matter. At present, the law regulating online games has been challenged before the Delhi High Court, the Madhya Pradesh High Court, and the Karnataka High Court. Notably, Bagheera Carrom Private Limited, an online carrom company, had filed the petition before the Delhi High Court.

On September 2, during the hearing before the Delhi High Court, petitioners’ counsels Harsh Jaiswal and Aadya Mishra had argued that the legislation was arbitrary and confusing. The court had observed that the government would likely constitute a regulatory authority and frame rules to implement the law soon. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, had also informed the court that an authority to regulate online gaming would be established shortly.

With the transfer of all pending cases to the Supreme Court, the legality and framework of India’s online gaming regulations will now be examined uniformly by the apex court, ensuring clarity and consistency in judicial scrutiny.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar