The Supreme Court of India has transferred to itself all Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed in various High Courts seeking a ban on opinion-trading platforms like Probo. The Court also ordered an immediate stay on proceedings pending before the High Courts of Chhattisgarh and Gujarat, where similar matters were being actively heard.
The directive came in response to a transfer petition filed by Probo Media Technologies Pvt. Ltd. in T.P.(C) Nos. 1527-1529/2025, seeking consolidation of all such cases to avoid conflicting judgments and legal uncertainty. While Probo had initially sought transfer to the Bombay High Court, the Supreme Court decided to retain jurisdiction, citing the legal complexity and national importance of the issues involved.
Probo operates an online platform allowing users to place monetary predictions on binary outcome events such as “yes” or “no” across categories including politics, sports, entertainment, and current affairs. The company maintains that its platform involves skill-based decision-making and is protected under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to practice any profession or carry on any trade.
However, public interest petitioners, led by social activist Sumit Kapurbhai Prajapati, allege that Probo’s model constitutes a form of gambling cloaked as skill, and violates state laws governing betting and wagering. The petitions urge a complete ban on such platforms, citing threats to public morality, financial discipline, and consumer protection.
Taking cognizance of these arguments, the Bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta issued a stay on all pending proceedings in the High Courts concerned and consolidated the matter before the Supreme Court.