Centre seeks transfer of pleas against online gaming to SC

New Delhi: The Centre has sought the transfer of pleas challenging the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 from three high courts to the Supreme Court to avoid conflicting verdicts.

A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran has agreed to list for hearing next week the plea of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for transfer of three pending cases from the high courts of Karnataka, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh to the apex court.

“(The) Union has filed a transfer plea... The Online Gaming Regulation Act has been challenged before three high courts. If it can be listed on Monday since it’s listed for interim orders before the Karnataka High Court,” the Centre’s counsel said.

Besides seeking the transfer of pleas, the Centre sought a “stay of all proceedings in the writ petitions” in different high courts till the transfer petition was disposed of.

“Due to multiple litigations pending before various High Courts involving same or substantially similar question of law and challenging the vires of the same Impugned Act, it is imperative that the same is transferred to this court or any High Court to avoid any divergence of opinions or multiplicity of proceedings,” the plea said.