Supreme Court denies review petitions against state online gaming bans
India's Supreme Court has dismissed petitions from Junglee Games and other operators challenging a ruling that upheld online gaming bans in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The Indian Supreme Court has rejected a batch of ten review petitions seeking to challenge a May 27, 2026, ruling that upheld state-level bans on online games involving stakes. Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan dismissed the applications, including requests for an oral hearing, citing a lack of merit in the arguments presented by the gaming companies.
In its original May ruling, the court determined that betting and gambling activities are categorized as "res extra commercium," meaning they exist outside the realm of protected commerce. Consequently, the court ruled that operators cannot claim a fundamental right to conduct such activities, regardless of whether the games involve skill elements like rummy or poker.
The decision leaves gaming firms, including Junglee Games, Play Games24x7, and the All India Gaming Federation, with limited legal recourse. The only remaining judicial avenue is a "curative petition," an exceptional mechanism restricted to narrow legal grounds. Meanwhile, a separate challenge against the central Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, remains pending before the court.