Online Gaming India has officially outlawed all online money gaming services after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The legislation, passed swiftly in Parliament—seven minutes in the Lok Sabha and 26 minutes in the Rajya Sabha—introduces strict penalties for violators .
Under the new law, facilitators of money-based online games face imprisonment of up to three years and fines reaching ₹1 crore, while those advertising such platforms risk two years in jail and penalties of up to ₹50 lakh.
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, addressing the House, said millions of Indians have been financially devastated by online gaming. He revealed that nearly 450 million players collectively lost more than ₹20,000 crore to money-gaming platforms. “From time to time, society faces social evils. It is the responsibility of the government to step in and regulate them,” Vaishnaw emphasized.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi endorsed the legislation, noting that it aims to protect citizens from predatory money games while promoting e-sports and online social gaming. “This Bill underscores our commitment to make India a global hub for gaming, innovation, and creativity while shielding society from the negative impact of online gambling,” he said.
Industry in Shock
However, industry associations have strongly criticized the ban, calling it a “death knell” for the domestic online gaming sector. Valued at ₹31,000 crore, the industry employs over 2 lakh people and has attracted ₹25,000 crore in foreign investments since 2022. Stakeholders argue that outlawing regulated companies will push players toward unregulated offshore platforms instead.
Already, several major platforms, including Dream11 and WinZO, have suspended operations in compliance with the new law.
