NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which aims to ban online games played with money. The government says the move is to tackle gaming addiction, money laundering, and financial fraud linked to such platforms.
The Bill says no individual, company, or platform can offer, promote, or facilitate online money games in India. It also bans advertisements for such games on TV, social media, or any digital platform and prohibits banks and payment firms from processing such transactions.
Sources said online money gaming is very addictive, leading to social harm and also financial loss. An official said 45 crore players lost money, with an estimated `26,000 crore loss annually.
The Bill proposes the creation of a central authority that will issue guidelines and directions, which all gaming platforms must follow.
Online money games as those where users deposit money in the hope of winning cash or other rewards. It covers all forms of online betting, including fantasy sports, card games like poker and rummy, and online lotteries.
The Bill was passed by a voice vote after brief comments from Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, even as opposition members staged protests.
Once cleared by both Houses of Parliament, offering or facilitating online money gaming will become a punishable offence, with jail terms of up to 3 years and fines of up to Rs 1 crore. Advertising such games could attract 2 years in prison or Rs 50 lakh fine.