India’s Supreme Court has dismissed gaming companies’ petitions to review its ruling upholding online gaming bans in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Its May 27, 2026 judgment said states could prohibit online games played for money or other stakes, including games of skill.

Key Takeaways

  • The review petitions were filed by gaming companies led by Junglee Games India.
  • The ruling leaves intact state laws challenged by operators of skill-based games, including online rummy and poker played for stakes.
  • The source does not specify an effective date for the bans.

Online gaming bans remain in place

Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said they found no merit in the review petitions. The dismissal leaves their May judgment intact rather than introducing a new ban.

In that judgment, the court upheld the state laws criminalising online games played for a bet, money or another stake, regardless of whether the games involve skill. It held that states could act when such games threaten public wellbeing and public order.

The court said no fundamental right could be claimed to conduct betting and gambling activities. It also said that once betting and gambling enter the picture, the nature of the game ceases to be relevant.

What the companies challenged

The Supreme Court’s May decision followed appeals by the two states against high court rulings that had struck down their bans. The Madras High Court had rejected Tamil Nadu’s 2021 law banning games such as online rummy and poker with stakes, while the Karnataka High Court had quashed the state’s ban on online games of skill.

Junglee Games, Play Games24x7, Head Digital Works and industry associations had supported the high court decisions. They argued that games of skill were distinct from games of chance and that states lacked legislative competence over skill-based games.

The state governments argued that restrictions were needed to protect public order, citing cybercrime and harm to families. The Supreme Court found that the state laws were supported by empirical data, contrary to the companies’ assertion.

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