The Indian Parliament has officially passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, with the Rajya Sabha giving its approval today. The legislation aims to promote e-sports and social online gaming while cracking down on harmful real-money gaming activities, related advertisements, and financial transactions. It also includes provisions to set up an Online Gaming Authority, which will oversee the sector, provide policy guidance, and support its strategic growth and regulation. This move is seen as a step toward creating a safer and more structured environment for online gaming in the country.
Which Indian apps are likely to be affected by the Online Gaming Bill 2025?
Dream11
Mobile Premier League (MPL)
Others apps
My11Circle
Howzat
SG11 Fantasy
WinZO
Games24x7 (parent of My11Circle and RummyCircle)
Junglee Games (covers Rummy & Poker)
PokerBaazi
GamesKraft (also known as RummyCulture)
Nazara Technologies (an investor in PokerBaazi, although its direct real-money gaming revenue is minimal)
Key Highlights of the Online Gaming Bill 2025:
The bill aims to curb online games that involve betting or wagering with money or any item of monetary value. It also clamps down on promotional content, banning advertisements that encourage money-based gaming. Additionally, banks and financial institutions are prohibited from processing transactions related to these games. The law imposes stringent penalties for non-compliance, including fines between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 2 crore, imprisonment for up to three years, and, in severe cases, the possible closure of offending gaming platforms.
While presenting the bill, Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw described online money gaming as a growing public health concern. He pointed out that numerous families have faced severe financial strain due to these games. The Minister emphasized that online money gaming fosters addiction, often leading to fraud and financial cheating, posing a serious societal challenge.
He noted that an estimated 45 crore people collectively lose around Rs 20,000 crore annually through online gaming. Mr. Vaishnaw also explained that the bill categorizes online gaming into three segments: e-sports, online social games, and online money games, with the government aiming to actively promote e-sports and social gaming while regulating money-based gaming.
