India’s Supreme Court rejects Junglee Games review petition

India's Supreme Court has rejected a review petition from Junglee Games, the Flutter Entertainment-owned operator, against a May judgment that upheld the power of states to prohibit real-money gaming, including games of skill. The court's decision leaves state-level restrictions in place, according to the ruling and the review outcome reported on 27 October 2026.

The May judgment, in the case State of Tamil Nadu v. Junglee Games India, held that states can regulate or prohibit betting involving games of skill, reversing earlier High Court decisions that had sided with operators. The judgment was signed by judges J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan. Flutter holds a 95% share in Junglee Games.

The judgment stated: "In the present case, since betting on games of skill is posing a serious threat to the State and the well-being of the masses, such betting would not enjoy immunity merely because it is taking place on a game of skill."

Another case is still awaiting a ruling from the Supreme Court: a constitutional attack on the country's nationwide prohibition of real-money gaming, led by Head Digital Works v. Union of India. There, petitioners argue that the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 is unconstitutional, raising among their grounds the split of legislative authority between the central government and the states.

Narendra Modi's administration moved against real-money online gambling in August 2025, and the measure took effect on 1 May 2026, all but erasing the country's young gaming industry at a stroke. Flutter had put more than $200m into a majority stake in Junglee before the prime minister acted, and it suspended the operator's activities that same August. As a result, 350 staff lost their jobs, 600 more were earmarked for transfer to the company's Hyderabad Global Capability Centre, and the firm weighed shifting toward a free-to-play offering.

A notice on the official Junglee website states: "All of our games have been discontinued."