India's Supreme Court rejects Flutter unit Junglee Games' challenge to online gaming ban

India's Supreme Court has rejected a challenge from Junglee Games, which is owned by Flutter Entertainment, against the country's prohibition on real-money online gaming. The ruling leaves in place restrictions that the operator had hoped to overturn.

The ban was approved in 2025 and took effect in May this year, bringing an end to what had been a fast-growing Indian iGaming sector. Junglee's case focused on state-level laws in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, which prohibit real-money online games, including those that depend on skill.

Junglee argued that games of skill are fundamentally different from games of chance and should therefore be regulated differently. The court did not accept that position. It held that placing bets on the outcome can turn a skill-based game into gambling, and that wagering on such games does not carry any immunity from prohibition. On that basis, it upheld the bans on these products.

The decision does not necessarily close the matter. According to the report, gaming companies have brought separate legal action questioning whether such a far-reaching ban is constitutional.

The prohibition has had a significant impact on operators active in the market. Flutter, the parent company of Junglee, was reportedly forced to cut about 350 jobs as a result of the changes.

The Indian measure is not the only recent example of a major market closing to online gaming. Brazil has ended its regulated online betting market less than two years after its launch, prompting many operators to shut down their local offices and sending ripples through the industry. Some critics have described the Brazilian ban as a populist move, and a number of operators and suppliers have said they remain willing to return to the country if policymakers reverse course.