NEW DELHI, Sept. 5 -- The Supreme Court is expected to hear on September 8 the Union government's plea to transfer to itself all petitions pending before three high courts challenging the constitutional validity of the new law banning real-money online games. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai said that he will consider listing the matter on Monday after a counsel for the Centre mentioned the petition for urgent hearing. In its transfer plea, the Centre has also urged the top court to stay proceedings before all high courts until the present plea is decided. The Centre highlighted that at least three high courts - Karnataka, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh - are seized of challenges to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, and stressed that the issues needed to be centralised before the apex court to avoid conflicting orders. "The matter is listed before the Karnataka high court on Monday for orders," the Union's counsel told the bench, prompting the CJI to agree to an early listing. In its petition, filed through the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), the Union government sought the transfer of three writ petitions - filed by Head Digital Works Pvt Ltd, Bagheera Carrom (OPC) Pvt Ltd, and Clubboom11 Sports & Entertainment Pvt Ltd - that are pending before the Karnataka, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh high courts, respectively. The Centre argued that these petitions all raise substantially similar questions of law concerning the 2025 Act, and that it is imperative that they be consolidated before a single constitutional forum. The Centre's move came days after it defended the legislation before different high courts, maintaining that once Parliament has passed a law and the President has given assent, its notification is a "constitutional function" beyond judicial restraint....