India’s Online Gaming Ban Marks Darkest Day for Poker

In what some are calling the “darkest day for poker in India”, the Indian president is predicted to signal laws successfully outlawing on-line poker alongside all types of real-money on-line gaming nationwide.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill cleared each homes of parliament this week and removes the long-standing authorized distinction between video games of ability and video games of likelihood

This classification had beforehand protected poker and fantasy sports activities operators. However, lawmakers cited issues over playing dependancy, monetary break, and even the potential misuse of gaming platforms for cash laundering and terror financing.

“People lose their life’s savings in online money gaming,” India’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw told Parliament. “It is the duty of the government and the parliament to take strict action against social evils, which keep erupting time and again.”

Impact on Poker

The announcement despatched shockwaves via the trade. According to Poker Industry Pro,PokerStars India and Junglee Games have already halted deposits, lower than six months after mother or father firm Flutter migrated participant swimming pools to a newly developed Poker Platform tailor-made to the Indian gaming neighborhood.

Meanwhile, PokerBaazi suspended its real-money choices fully. Just final 12 months, PokerBaazi had partnered with the World Poker Tour to permit Indian gamers to satellite tv for pc into reside WPT occasions worldwide.

Navkiran Singh, Co-founder of Baazi Games, said that the decision to halt providers was “a pause, not a goodbye” and described the Bill as “the darkest day in the history of poker in India.”

Many within the trade are actually nervous about the potential for gamers migrating to offshore or unregulated websites, creating dangers for conusmer security.

Impact on Other Areas: Fantasy Sports & Indian Cricket

If poker has been dealt a devastating hand, fantasy sports activities operators face a fair bigger upheaval. Companies like Dream11 and MPL, which constructed multi-billion-dollar companies on paid fantasy cricket contests, have been compelled to close down their flagship merchandise.

The ripple results prolong properly past the gaming trade. Fantasy platforms have been among the many largest monetary backers of Indian cricket, sponsoring Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, home tournaments, and even the nationwide crew.

Indian Gambling Industry

According to the India Gaming Report 2025, the home gaming market was valued at USD 3.7 billion and was projected to succeed in USD 9.1 billion by 2029.

Despite representing simply 1.1% of the worldwide gaming market, India accounts for roughly 20% of the world’s gaming person base and over 15% of world gaming app downloads.

The All India Gaming Federation and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports issued a joint assertion earlier this week:

“Instead of protecting people, this bill risks exposing them to fraud, exploitation and unsafe practices.”

Under the brand new legislation, anybody present in violation might resist three years in jail and heavy fines, underscoring the dimensions of change now confronting India’s gaming neighborhood.

_{Editor’s Note: This is a growing story. The Bill awaits Presidential approval, though it’s extensively anticipated that he’ll signal it into legislation.}

Based within the United Kingdom, Will began working for PokerInformation as a contract reside reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time workers in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor.

He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He additionally holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.