PROGA Unnotified: SC to Hear Online Gaming Law Challenge on Jan 21

• The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), 2025, remains unnotified five months after its passage, creating regulatory uncertainty for the online skill-gaming industry.
• The Supreme Court will hear petitions challenging PROGA's constitutional validity on January 21, 2026, before a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
• A PIL by activist KA Paul, seeking action against online gaming and betting platforms and celebrity endorsements, will also be heard, though the court previously cautioned him against widening the proceedings.
• Petitioners like Head Digital Works argue that PROGA's de facto enforcement, including blocked transactions and frozen settlements, has caused severe economic disruption, leading to revenue loss and job cuts.
• The Union government defends PROGA as essential to curb risks from unregulated online money-gaming, citing threats to public order, financial integrity, and vulnerable users, and asserts Parliament's legislative competence.

Why It Matters: The Supreme Court will address the constitutional validity of the unnotified PROGA, balancing regulation with industry impact.