New Delhi – President Droupadi Murmu on Friday gave her assent to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, enacting a sweeping ban on online money gaming platforms across the country. The law, cleared by Parliament earlier this week, introduces stringent penalties for facilitators and advertisers of money-based gaming services.
Under the new legislation, hosting or facilitating online money games—whether based on skill or chance—will attract punishments of up to three years’ imprisonment and fines of ₹1 crore. Advertising such platforms has also been criminalised, with offenders facing up to two years in prison and fines of ₹50 lakh.
The Rajya Sabha passed the bill in just 26 minutes on Thursday, a day after the Lok Sabha approved it in seven minutes, despite opposition protests over procedural concerns.
Government’s Justification
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, defending the bill, highlighted the serious risks posed by online gaming. “People are losing their life’s savings in online money gaming,” he said. Stressing Parliament’s responsibility to tackle such challenges, he added: “From time to time, society grapples with social evils. In these circumstances, it is the duty of the government and the parliament to probe and make laws to control them.”
Government estimates suggest that nearly 450 million players have collectively lost over ₹20,000 crore on money gaming platforms, underlining the scale of the crisis the law seeks to address.
What Is Banned
The Act enforces a complete prohibition on all real-money games, regardless of whether they are skill-based or chance-driven. This includes:
- Fantasy sports platforms: Dream11, My11Circle, MPL, WinZO, Games24x7, KheloFantasy, 99Games
- Card and casino games: PokerBaazi, RummyCircle, GamesKraft
- Other real-money wagering formats across digital platforms
What Is Allowed
In contrast, the legislation explicitly supports e-sports, social games, and educational games, provided they do not involve monetary wagering.
Permissible formats include:
- Casual games: Ludo King, Snakes & Ladders, Candy Crush Saga
- E-sports titles: Free Fire MAX, BGMI, Clash of Clans, Call of Duty: Mobile
- Social/educational puzzles and sports simulations: Subway Surfers, Royal Match, Whiteout Survival, eFootball, EA Sports FC Mobile
However, titles such as Coin Master and Monopoly Go!, which mimic gambling mechanics like slot-machine spins or random draws, may fall into a regulatory grey zone and could face review.
A Turning Point for India’s Gaming Industry
The Online Gaming Act marks the most significant intervention in India’s digital gaming ecosystem to date. While real-money platforms face a blanket prohibition, the law paves the way for regulated growth in e-sports and non-monetary gaming, positioning India as a potential global hub for competitive gaming.
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