The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Central Government in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking stringent regulation—or an outright ban—of both online and offline betting and gambling applications.

A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh sought a response from the Centre and directed the petitioner to serve a copy of the plea to Attorney General R. Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

Advertisement

The PIL, filed by evangelist Dr KA Paul—who personally appeared before the court—urged the Centre to frame uniform central legislation to either ban or strictly regulate all forms of online and offline betting platforms.

Expressing deep concern over the growing influence of betting apps on the youth, Dr Paul stated, “I am here on behalf of millions of parents whose children have died in the past couple of years. More than 1,023 people committed suicide in Telangana alone due to the betting menace.”

He highlighted that prominent cricketers, Bollywood actors, and social media influencers actively endorse betting apps, thereby luring children and young adults into addiction and financial distress.

“The aggressive advertising by celebrities misleads youth into gambling, making them financially vulnerable and addicted,” he submitted.

Dr Paul also sought directions to prohibit celebrity endorsements of such platforms.

In response, Justice Surya Kant observed that societal aberrations cannot be entirely eradicated through legislation alone.

“Just as we cannot stop people from committing murder, a law alone cannot prevent individuals from engaging in betting or gambling,” the Bench remarked.

The petition emphasized that unregulated betting platforms are frequently used as fronts for money laundering and black money transactions, thereby violating provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

Dr Paul cited alarming statistics, including more than 24 suicides in Telangana over the past 18 months allegedly linked to gambling-related debt traps, with numerous similar cases reported across the country.

The petition urged the court to direct the government to take urgent action, warning that thousands of families continue to suffer irreversible financial and psychological harm due to the unchecked proliferation of betting apps.