Punjab & Haryana High Court Issues Notice On PIL Seeking Ban On Online Betting, Opinion Trading Platforms

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday (May 8) sought response form the Central government and others on a PIL seeking to restrain all online opinion trading platforms, mobile applications, websites, and digital mediums from advertising and/or facilitating betting and wagering activities, which is said to be in violation of Public Gambling Act and other laws.

Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel issued notice to the Central Government, Reserve Bank of India, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the Enforcement Directorate ,  Haryana Government among others.

The plea filed by Anuj Malik, a lawyer by profession sought action against the alleged "continued and unchecked operation of certain online platforms that under the guise of opinion trading".

It added that these platform permit users to bet on the outcome of uncertain and speculative events such as cricket wins and losses, election results, bitcoin market movements and current affairs which are nothing but games of chance.

It further highlighted that the same is violation of the the Public Gambling Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Section 112), and state-specitic legislations including the Haryana Prevention o Public Gambling Act, 2025 and the Information Technology Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code' Rules, 2021 (as amended in 2023), which lay down express obligations to restrict such content and platforms.

The plea stated that over 75 betting and gambling websites, many of them which are banned, continue to target Indian users, often using popular Bollywood actors and sports stars as brand ambassadors to appear credible. Celebrities like Ranbir Kapoor, Kiara Advani and others have promoted platforms such as Fairplay, Parimatch, attracting especially young users despite the platforms being illegal.

The plea also sought directions to authorities like the National Payment Corporation of India and Reserve Bank of India to freeze bank accounts associated with such online platforms.

The matter is listed for May 20, for further consideration.

Senior Advocate Atul Nanda with Rameeza Hakim represented the petitioner.

ASG Satya Pal Jain appeared for the Union Government.

Title: Anuj Malik v Union of India & Ors