UK-based nine-year-old app Gamban has approached the Delhi High Court against the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), challenging a Section 69A blocking order that resulted in the inaccessibility of its website in India for more than three years despite the app’s core functionality being the blocking of access to gambling applications and not enabling gambling itself. MediaNama had access to the writ petition filed with the Delhi HC.
The petition names the Union of India, through the Secretary of MeitY, as the sole respondent and is likely to be listed on July 13, 2026, or any date thereafter, as per the petition’s notice of motion.
At the time of writing this report, the website remains inaccessible. You will require a VPN to access the website. These are the links to the now-blocked Gamban: [ Website ] Google Play Store | Apple App Store ]
What is the Gamban app, and why was it blocked? Gamban is a UK company founded in 2017 that builds a self-exclusion tool used by people who are recovering from gambling addiction.
A few key points mentioned in the petition are:
- It blocks access to gambling, betting, casino and online money-gaming apps and websites on a user’s device, rather than offering any such services itself.
- The petition claims that the app is available in 197 countries, has over six lakh registrations across more than eight lakh devices, and is ISO-certified.
- It also reportedly has tie-ups with regulators including Norway’s gambling company, Norsk Tipping, the Welsh Government, and gaming control boards in Ohio and Michigan.
- The petition claims that Gamban was mistakenly blocked by MeitY on February 7, 2023, while blocking a series of gambling applications under the same Section 69A of the IT Act.
Why did MeitY block Gamban? MeitY has not filed a counter-affidavit with the Delhi HC yet, as the petition was filed only on July 9, and the Delhi HC has not yet heard the matter. However, as per MeitY’s response, which Medianama reported earlier and cited in the petition, the Ministry has responded as follows:
- Gamban received MeitY’s first response after more than three years, on May 6, 2025. In a short email response, MeitY stated that it had, “after following due process,” ordered the app blocked on the following three grounds:
- Data privacy concerns for Android users,
- The Super app concerns with alleged extra access: The app allegedly operates as a “super app” capable of monitoring browser history and scanning other apps, including banking apps, and
- Serving more gambling ads to users: MeitY’s response claims that users allegedly receive more gambling ads after discontinuing their subscription.
- MeitY asks Gamban to undergo a security audit without sharing the blocking order: Following these accusations, MeitY asked Gamban to submit a response to these practices and undergo a security audit by a government-approved agency, but did not attach a copy of the blocking…
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