Supreme Court Rejects Junglee Games Challenge to India’s State-Level Online Gambling Ban
The Supreme Court rejected Junglee Games’ challenge to the online gambling ban in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The court ruled that betting on the outcome can turn skill-based games into gambling and that betting on games of skill does not enjoy immunity. Flutter Entertainment was forced to lay off roughly 350 employees due to the changes.
SCCG Take — The decision signals acute vulnerability for operators in emerging jurisdictions, where regulatory reversal can eliminate entire revenue streams without notice.
India’s Supreme Court has rejected Flutter Entertainment subsidiary Junglee Games’ challenge to the online gambling ban in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The operator argued that skill-based games differ from chance-based ones and should receive different treatment under the law. The court ruled otherwise, determining that betting on outcomes converts skill-based games into gambling without legal immunity.
The ban, approved in 2025, came into effect in May this year and ended the country’s emerging iGaming sector. Junglee Games brought the case to contest the prohibition on real-money online games. The decision sustains the restrictions at state level.
Court’s Basis for Upholding the Ban
The Supreme Court held that the act of betting removes any distinction that skill might otherwise provide. This leaves operators without the claimed exemption. As reported by GamblingNews, the ruling directly addresses Junglee Games’ core contention.
Flutter Entertainment laid off roughly 350 employees following the market closure. The outcome mirrors Brazil’s termination of its online gaming sector less than two years after launch, which prompted local office closures and industry disruption. Gaming companies continue to pursue constitutional challenges to the ban.
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