#e4mImpact:  MeitY reverses Gamban ban, moves to unblock anti-gambling app

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has decided to unblock UK-based gambling harm-prevention platform Gamban's website and mobile application in India, marking a reversal of its earlier decision to block the service during the government's crackdown on offshore betting and gambling platforms.

The decision follows an inter-ministerial meeting convened by MeitY to examine the matter, with the government now deciding to restore access to the website and application. The development comes after sustained coverage by exchange4media, which first highlighted the policy contradiction surrounding the blocking of an application designed to prevent gambling, and subsequently reported Gamban's legal challenge against the ministry before the Delhi High Court.

In May 2026, e4m published the report titled 'Policy Paradox: MeitY under fire for blocking app that fights illegal betting platforms', bringing attention to how a platform specifically designed to help users stay away from gambling websites had itself been blocked by the government.

The report highlighted the apparent contradiction between the Centre's efforts to curb illegal betting and gambling activities and its decision to restrict access to a tool that helps users block such platforms. It also raised questions about the rationale behind the blocking order, the absence of transparency and the potential implications for India's online gaming regulatory framework.

The issue subsequently escalated into a legal dispute, with Gamban approaching the Delhi High Court in July 2026, seeking restoration of access to its services and challenging the blocking orders issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The company had filed a writ petition against MeitY, arguing that its platform had been mistakenly classified alongside online gambling applications despite functioning as a digital self-exclusion tool. The petition sought quashing of the blocking orders, restoration of the website and application, and disclosure of the original blocking order.

Delhi HC intervention brings government under scrutiny

The Delhi High Court subsequently directed MeitY to decide within four weeks on Gamban's petition challenging the Section 69A blocking order covering its website and application in India.

The court said the ministry should decide whether to lift or continue the blocking order in accordance with the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009, commonly referred to as the Blocking Rules. It also directed that Gamban be given an opportunity of being heard before the ministry takes a decision.

The court's intervention put the onus on MeitY to examine the company's objections and determine whether the blocking order was justified, rather than allowing the restriction to continue without a reasoned decision on Gamban's representations.

The latest decision to unblock the platform follows the inter-ministerial examination of the matter and marks a significant development in a dispute that had raised questions about the consistency of the government's approach towards online gambling regulation.

Gamban was represented by a team of advocates - Jay Sayta, Akshat Gupta and Sakshi Tikmany.

Gamban offers to work with government on PROGA implementation

Gamban has expressed its willingness to work with the Indian government to strengthen efforts against illegal betting and gambling platforms. The company also wants to collaborate with the authorities to support the implementation of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), 2026, and its broader objectives of curbing prohibited online money gaming activities.

The company believes its technology can complement the government's enforcement efforts by helping users restrict access to illegal gambling and betting websites and applications.

Founded in the UK in 2017, Gamban operates as a digital harm-prevention platform that blocks access to gambling websites and applications across devices. The company says its technology blocks more than 480,000 gambling domains and applications globally and is available across nearly 200 countries.

Unlike betting platforms, Gamban does not host games, facilitate wagering or provide payment mechanisms for gambling activities. Its primary function is to prevent users from accessing such services, particularly those attempting to overcome gambling addiction.

Read On: #e4mExclusive: UK anti-gambling app Gamban drags MeitY to Delhi HC

Three-year blocking dispute

The dispute dates back to February 2023, when Gamban's application became unavailable on Google Play Store and Apple's App Store in India following a wider government exercise to block online gambling and betting applications.

The company subsequently made multiple representations to MeitY, arguing that it was not a gambling operator and that its application was being incorrectly categorised. According to its submissions, Gamban had approached the ministry as early as May 2023 and followed up through subsequent representations in November 2024, February 2025 and April 2026.

MeitY had earlier cited concerns relating to user data privacy, the application's permissions and its ability to access information across other applications. Gamban disputed these allegations, maintaining that its software was designed exclusively to identify and block gambling-related websites and applications.

The ministry had also informed the company in May 2025 that due process had been followed in blocking the application. However, Gamban maintained that it had not received the original blocking order or a detailed explanation of the grounds for the action.

The company eventually approached the Delhi High Court in July, arguing that the prolonged blocking had denied Indian users access to a tool intended to prevent gambling-related harm.

The government's latest decision to restore access therefore marks an important shift in the handling of the case.

The episode also brings into focus the distinction between platforms facilitating prohibited online money gaming and technology services that help users prevent access to such platforms. 

As the government strengthens the implementation of PROGA, the Gamban case underscores the importance of ensuring that enforcement measures against illegal betting do not inadvertently restrict services designed to address the very harms the regulatory framework seeks to prevent.