The Supreme Court on Friday said people were betting and gambling in the garb of Indian Premier League and sought the Centre’s response on a PIL seeking to regulate betting applications.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued notice to the Centre on a plea filed by K A Paul, who claimed many children had died suicide after using online betting and gambling applications.
The petitioner alleged several online influencers, actors and cricketers were promoting such online apps, luring children in the process and sought a complete ban on illegal betting apps, strict regulations on online gaming and fantasy sports and enactment of a comprehensive law.
Paul said in case of cigarettes, packs had pictures indicating the ill-effects of smoking, but in case of betting apps, no such caution was publicised and even former Indian team cricketers promoted the applications during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
The bench said, “In the name of IPL, a lot of people are betting and indulging in gambling. This is a serious issue.”
Without taking names, the plea said even the “god of cricket” endorsed such betting applications.
Paul claimed to represent “millions of parents” whose children have died in the past couple of years.
“More than 1,023 people died by suicide in Telangana, as 25 Bollywood and Tollywood actors/influencers played with the lives of the innocents,” he said.
Paul said an FIR was lodged in Telangana against influencers, as the matter violated fundamental rights.
The bench expressed its helplessness terming the situation as “aberrations of society” and said the enactment of law cannot stop people from betting voluntarily.
“Nowadays, we have given the internet to our children. They carry it even to their schools. Parents watch one TV, children watch another. This is complete social aberration. What can be done? When people are indulging in these betting voluntarily. Principally, we are with you that it should be stopped… But probably you are under a misconception that it can be stopped through a law,” the bench said.
Justice Kant added, “Just like we can’t stop people from committing murder, a law cannot prevent people from indulging in betting or gambling.”
The bench said it would ask the Centre what it was doing on the issue and sought its reply.
The top court requested for the assistance of the attorney general and solicitor general in the matter and said if necessary, it would seek response from all states subsequently.
Paul, who claims to be a Hyderabad-based social activist, said in his plea that he moved the top court to safeguard youth and vulnerable citizens from the perils of unregulated online betting and gambling disguised as fantasy sports and skill-based gaming.
“It is being filed under Article 32 of the Constitution of India in the larger public interest to safeguard the youth of India from the unregulated, exploitative, and dangerous online betting industry operating under the garb of ‘fantasy sports’ and ‘skill-based gaming’,” the plea said.
His petition raised questions whether online betting and fantasy sports involving monetary transactions and uncertain outcomes amount to gambling under the Public Gambling Act, 1867 and various state anti-gambling laws?
The plea said online betting had become a tool for money laundering, hawala transactions, and illegal financial activities involving foreign entities, violating the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
Paul claimed thousands of families across India have suffered economic losses due to unregulated betting and reports from ED and Cyber Crime divisions of Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru highlight illegal betting syndicates leading to multiple suicides. (PTI)
