Lok Sabha clears Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday cleared the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, a landmark transfer that seeks to convey sweeping modifications to India’s on-line gaming ecosystem. The Bill goals to manage e-sports, instructional and social gaming whereas imposing a blanket ban on on-line cash video games that contain financial stakes. Approved by the Cabinet a day earlier, the Bill was tabled by IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. It might be debated within the Rajya Sabha and, as soon as it secures Presidential assent, grow to be regulation.

Ashiwini Vaishnaw laid the Bill and stated, “The Digital and online ecosystem has grown exponentially in India. There are different types of online games such as casual games and esports which is educational and entertaining. On the other hand are online money games which is impacting lives of multiple families. These online money gaming firms are opaque in nature and due to online gaming companies, there are multiple hazards linked to online money gaming. This also impacts national security such as money laundering and terror funding.”

Vaishnaw stated, “The government wants to support esports and casual games. We want to protect the interest of the society and this Bill protects society and i request the house to pass this Bill unanimously.”

The Bill was tabled for dialogue and amid ongoing protests, the Bill was handed within the Lok Sabha.

A central regulatory authority has been proposed underneath the laws to supervise compliance, help coverage formulation, and encourage innovation within the gaming sector. According to the monetary memorandum, the authority might be arrange with an preliminary capital expenditure of round ₹50 crore and an annual recurring price of ₹20 crore, drawn from the Consolidated Fund of India.

The Bill formally recognises e-sports as a respectable aggressive sport and descriptions authorities help for coaching academies, analysis centres, and expertise platforms to gasoline its progress. Social and academic video games may also be promoted, with safeguards to make sure age-appropriate content material and integration into ability improvement and studying initiatives.

At the identical time, the laws takes a strict stand towards money-based on-line video games. If handed, it should outlaw ads throughout tv, print, digital platforms, and influencer or celeb endorsements that promote such video games. Penalties for violations embrace imprisonment of as much as two years, fines of as much as ₹50 lakh, or each. Repeat offences might invite stricter punishment—as much as three years in jail and fines reaching ₹1 crore.

The Bill makes it clear: “Any person who makes or causes to make advertisement in any media, in contravention of section 6, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to fifty lakh rupees or with both.”

Further, monetary establishments and intermediaries might be barred from facilitating transactions for money-gaming providers. Offences on this class are designated as cognizable and non-bailable.

The authorities has justified the ban by citing issues over fraud, cash laundering, tax evasion, and hyperlinks to terrorist financing via offshore gaming platforms. The Statement of Objects and Reasons highlights the manipulative algorithms and addictive design options of such video games, which frequently result in compulsive behaviour, monetary losses, and psychological well being points, particularly amongst youth and susceptible populations.

The Bill additionally grants investigative powers to designated authorities, permitting them to go looking, seize, and block operations of money-gaming platforms, each bodily and digital, and not using a warrant. Non-compliant platforms could possibly be blocked underneath provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

With Presidential suggestion secured underneath Article 117 of the Constitution, the Bill is slated for detailed dialogue in each Houses of Parliament. If enacted, it should mark a serious coverage shift—positioning India as a possible world chief in regulated on-line gaming, whereas decisively shutting down avenues for money-based gaming.