IPL Fever Fuels Rise in Illegal Gambling: Chhattisgarh HC Cracks Down

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Chhattisgarh High Court (HC) has again stoked a debate around illegal betting and gambling platforms. The HC, while hearing the case, has observed that online gambling platforms, like the Mahadev app, skirt laws to cheat people. The PIL has been filed at a time when several high-profile names have been highlighted in the infamous Mahadev betting app scam.

Notably, such illegal betting apps and websites become particularly popular during sporting tournaments like the currently ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).Chhattisgarh’s gambling law violated?During the PIL’s first hearing on March 24, 2025, counsel Amrito Das, on behalf of petitioner Sunil Namdeo, alleged that Probo Media Technologies Private Limited and TradeX Software India have been violating the advertising rules under the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022 for the current IPL season, according to the copy of the Chhattisgarh HC order. At the end of the hearing, the court ordered the Secretary of Chhattisgarh’s Home Affairs Department to reply on behalf of the State.



State’s ReponseIn the State’s response, Chhattisgarh’s Advocate General Prafull Bharat mentioned, as noted in the High Court’s order from the second hearing, that Section 10 of the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022 prohibits advertisement of gambling in electronic and print media “where chance prevails over skills”. The response further mentioned that the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) for Raipur district has issued an advisory directing all the concerned advertising agencies, newspapers and television channels to avoid encouraging online betting and gambling. Till February 2025, a total of 444 cases of online gambling have been reported in which 1002 persons have been arrested, the State response revealed.

The response added that 383 cases are pending before the “competent court of law,” and that police have seized cash and other articles worth Rs. 2.19 crore.

According to the State’s submissions, the police registered 77 crimes in the Mahadev online gambling cases from 2022 to 2024, out of which 46 cases are under trial.Justice Verma said that the State should keep in mind that several online gambling and betting platforms, like the Mahadev betting apps, are skirting and misusing the provisions of the 2022 Act.The Chhattisgarh HC gave three weeks to the State to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.

The court has scheduled the third hearing for May 6, 2025.Mahadev Betting Scam Explained:Modus Operandi:Mahadev Book is an online betting/gambling platform that allows people to place illegal bets on various sporting events. The Mahadev Book website, with the tagline “King of Online World”, is designed in a black-and-gold colour scheme.

The platform promises “safe and secure transactions”, “instant money withdrawals,” and “24×7 support” to lure people. The Mahadev Book website, which is still live, shows a contact number that can be reached via WhatsApp to place bets. According to a report, once a user has contacted the WhatsApp number, they are given two separate contact numbers, one for depositing and “collecting points” and another for encashing the points.

Reportedly, panel owners, who manage the platform, rig the games to favour them. Initially, the users will make money only to eventually lose large sums. As per the report, the main promoters of the Mahadev application are Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal from Chhattisgarh’s Bhilai, who are allegedly running operations from Dubai.

Bhupesh Baghel and Bollywood Celebrities Involved?Former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel has been under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his alleged involvement in the Mahadev betting scam. According to a recent report, the CBI named Baghel as one of the beneficiaries of the online betting scam, a development that has sent ripples across Chhattisgarh politics. Bhagel, however, denies any involvement in the scam and calls it politically motivated.

The scale of the online betting scam is enormous: reportedly, the Mahadev Book platform and “its sister concerns” were generating Rs. 450 crore monthly with the help of a massive network of call centres. In December 2024, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had reportedly attached assets worth Rs.

388 crore in the online betting case, taking the worth of total assets frozen to a massive Rs. 2,295.61 crore.

The investigation has also brought several celebrities and influencers under the scanner for their alleged involvement in the case. The ED summoned actors Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Hina Khan and Huma Qureshi for allegedly receiving payments for promoting the betting app. Similarly, ED summoned Tamannaah Bhatia for questioning for promoting a subsidiary of the online gambling app.

Furthermore, comedian Kapil Sharma’s name reportedly came up in the investigation for attending the wedding reception of Chandrakar, one of the two main promoters of Mahadev Book. Elsewhere, actor Sahil Khan was arrested in relation to this betting app controversy.What is the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022?In March 2023, the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022 came into effect.

The State legislature passed the Act in January 2023. According to the Act, gambling includes “the wagering or betting, or wagering or betting through online [sic] for the purpose of financial gain, but does not include lottery.”The 2022 Act also mentions that “collection or soliciting of distribution of bets or the receipt of winnings or prizes in money or otherwise in respect of wagering or betting or any act which is intended to aid or facilitate wagering or betting or such collection, soliciting, receipt or distribution shall also be deemed to be ‘Gambling’.

”Can’t advertise gamblingThe 2022 Act specifically prohibits advertising betting games where chance prevails over skills across electronic and print media. Such an offence is cognizable and non-bailable, and the accused can be jailed for up to 3 years, and asked to pay a fine of up to Rs. 50,000, if found guilty.

Penalty for online gamblingA person indulging in online gambling, as defined above, or aiding or abetting anyone to indulge in online gambling under the Act will be punished. The first offence will invite jail time between one and three years, along with fines between Rs. 50,000 and Rs.

5 lakh. Subsequent offences will invite imprisonment between two to seven years, along with a fine between Rs. 1 to Rs.

10 lakh. Notably, this is a cognizable and non-bailable offence.What do the IT Rules, 2021 say?In March 2025, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) announced that it has ordered to block 1298 online betting/gambling/gaming websites between 2022 and 2024.

As per the press release, the Government took the action to address various socio-economic concerns emanating from online games. The IT Rules, 2021, are part of the Information Technology Act, 2000.As per the IT Rules, online gaming intermediaries are required not to host, store or publish any information violative of any law for the time being in force.

They are also obligated to ensure their accountability that includes expeditious action to remove unlawful information.Is it a ‘Game of Skill’ or a ‘Game of Chance’?Neither the IT Rules, 2021 nor the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022 defines what is a game of chance and what is a game of skill. A person, enticed by the idea of making a quick buck, might forget to consider whether they possess the knowledge or skill before placing a wager.

The proposition of earning more with minimal effort could potentially blind their judgment. Justice Verma, during the second case hearing, said that the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022, does not consider the fact that a game of skill for one might be a game of chance for another, and vice versa. Elsewhere, the Supreme Court of India, while addressing the legality of the card game Rummy, held that it does involve an element of chance in the initial distribution of cards.

The apex court noted that a player’s skill in memorising and strategising predominantly determines the outcome of the game. Hence, the court considered Rummy a game of skill.Whether a game is a ‘game of skill’ or a ‘game of chance’ depends on what determines the outcome of the game.

If a skilled player considers all the merits and demerits of a wager before placing the bet, it could be called a game of skill. But what needs to be addressed is how to stop someone who is not as skilled from placing a bet. Till then, this debate will keep occupying a significant space in the public discourse.

Read more:Zepto Displays Ads for Illegal Betting App Parimatch Amid IPL Fever in IndiaIllegal Betting Platform 1xBet Found Advertising on Uber Cabs—Right Under Regulators’ NosesTelugu Celebrities Charged in an FIR for Promoting Betting AppsThe post IPL Fever Fuels Rise in Illegal Gambling: Chhattisgarh HC Cracks Down appeared first on MEDIANAMA..