Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 22 August 2025
The Rajya Sabha passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, a day after its passage in the Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha approved it by voice vote on Thursday during the Monsoon Session, a day after it was passed in the Lok Sabha.
The law marks a sweeping shift in India’s gaming landscape. It imposes a blanket prohibition on online “money games” — defined as games played for stakes of cash or items of monetary value — while formally recognising e-sports as a legitimate sport and setting up a regulatory mechanism for other categories of online play.
Key Provisions:
• Ban on money games: Offering, operating, or facilitating such games is prohibited.
• Advertising restrictions: Endorsements or promotions of real-money games are barred. Violations attract up to two years’ imprisonment and/or fines of up to ₹50 lakh.
• Financial cut-off: Banks and payment gateways are barred from processing transactions tied to money games.
• Penalties: Offenders may face up to three years in jail and/or fines of up to ₹1 crore; repeat offences can attract five years and ₹2 crore. Core offences are cognizable and non-bailable.
• Regulatory body: A central Online Gaming Authority will be set up to categorise games, adjudicate complaints, and issue guidelines.
• Esports recognition: The Sports Ministry will treat e-sports on par with other sports, with plans to support academies, research, and policy integration.
• Social/educational games: The government may register and support age-appropriate games promoting skill, culture, and digital literacy.
The Rajya Sabha passed the bill without debate as opposition MPs staged protests over electoral roll issues, leading to a voice vote after proposed amendments were rejected.
The legislation directly affects fantasy sports, poker, rummy, and other real-money gaming platforms such as Dream11, MPL, My11Circle, WinZO, RummyCircle, PokerBaazi, Games24x7, Junglee, Gameskraft etc.
With both Houses of Parliament having passed the bill, it will now be sent to the President of India for assent. Once the President gives approval and the law is notified in the official gazette, its provisions will come into force as stipulated.
