Karnataka High Court Defers Hearing on Online Gaming Act Problem

The Karnataka High Court on September 8, 2025, deferred the listening to on writ petitions difficult the newly enacted Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, because the Centre has moved to consolidate comparable challenges earlier than the Supreme Court.

Last month, Head Digital Works, the guardian firm of A23, challenged the validity of the Act within the Karnataka High Court, arguing that it violated elementary constitutional rights, together with the liberty to conduct enterprise underneath Article 19(1)(g), and infringed on the established authorized distinction between video games of talent and video games of probability

The petition emphasizes that Parliament has overstepped its authority, contending that gaming regulation historically falls inside state jurisdiction, and types the Act as arbitrary and a violation of the correct to livelihood.

During the August 30 listening to, the court docket declined to grant a keep on the Act, although it has not but been notified, rejecting interim aid sought by the business. Petitioners had requested both a postponement of the Act’s notification till hearings conclude, or at the least one week’s discover previous to enforcement.

“This Court at this stage opines that the Union must be at liberty to complete its pleadings by the next date of hearing at least insofar as the petitioner’s request for interim order,” the bench of Justice B.M. Shyam Prasad famous.

Meanwhile, the Centre has approached the Supreme Court in search of to switch all pending excessive court docket petitions, filed in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi, to the apex court docket to make sure uniformity and keep away from conflicting judgments. This plea was talked about earlier than a bench led by Chief Justice B. R. Gavai, and has been scheduled for consideration shortly.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 was launched within the Lok Sabha on August 20, cleared by each Houses of Parliament inside two days by way of a voice vote, and acquired Presidential assent on August 22. It marks India’s first federal try to manage on-line gaming, aiming to ban real-money gaming outright, whereas carving out house for e-sports and informal on-line video games. The Act envisions establishing a National Online Gaming Commission (NOGC) to supervise licensing, classification, responsible-gaming measures, and enforcement of penalties.

The laws is constructed on two clear goals: to advertise and regulate the official and useful features of on-line gaming, and to guard people, particularly youth and susceptible teams, from the dangerous penalties of on-line cash gaming. Moving the Bill, Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had referred to as on-line cash gaming a “public health menace”, declaring that round 45 crore customers collectively lose almost Rs. 20,000 crore yearly on such platforms. The legislation is split into six chapters, every addressing a special side of regulation, prohibition, and enforcement.

Several previous Supreme Court judgments have recognised video games like rummy, poker and carrom as predominantly skill-based and due to this fact outdoors the scope of state playing prohibitions.

Case Title: Head Digital Works Private Limited vs Union of India

Hearing Date: September 8, 2025

Bench: Justice B.M. Shyam Prasad