Delhi HC Issues Notice to Central Government in a Plea Seeking Ban on Online Gambling Apps

A Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan on Monday issued a notice pertaining to a petition filed by Avinash Mehrotra, seeking a direction to ban and prohibit all gambling, betting, wagering websites

Online gambling worse in comparison with regular gambling

The petitioner Avinash Mehrotra listed names of some of the websites and online gambling apps that include My11circle, PaytmFirstGames, Dream11 etc. He further stressed on the fact that gambling and wagering are per se illegal in our country as per the laws and historically it has been looked at as a vice. The petitioner remarked that online gambling is a far worse evil than regular gambling owing to its ease of  accessibility. 

Online gambling websites potentially a great place for carrying out hawala operations

The plea further mentions about the addiction of these games amongst youngsters. The petitioner also highlighted the potential misuse of these websites in carrying out money laundering and hawala transactions. The petitioner further argued that in spite of their evident criminality,  online gambling websites are available in India, basically due to the lack of the executive to take required ways to enforce the law. The learned counsel for the petitioner contended that government lacks the legislative competence to ban or block these online websites in spite of the powers under Sections 67, 69 and 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000,

Delhi HC has sought a response from the Central Government, as well as the Delhi Government in this matter.