Online Gaming Bill 2025: President Droupadi Murmu provides assent; framework to advertise e-sports, regulate sector, curb cash video games | Extra sports activities Information

NEW DELHI: The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which seeks to advertise e-sports and regulate the web gaming sector whereas outlawing money-based video games, obtained President Droupadi Murmu’s assent on Friday.“The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, receives President Droupadi Murmu’s assent,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) confirmed.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Following the assent, a notification can be issued to declare the date when the laws comes into impact. “We also have to draft the rules under the bill and issue those which are required. As the bill is structured, even without rules, there are certain provisions that can come into force immediately. But that is a decision we will take,” MeitY Secretary S Krishnan instructed ANI earlier.The laws has been introduced in with a twin goal — encouraging e-sports and on-line social video games whereas utterly prohibiting on-line cash gaming, ads, and associated monetary transactions. Service suppliers, advertisers, promoters, and financiers of such video games will face penalties, although particular person gamers won’t be punished.

Failing to adjust to the legislation could entice extreme penalties, together with imprisonment of as much as three years and/or fines as much as Rs 1 crore for providing or facilitating cash video games. Repeat offences might result in imprisonment of as much as 5 years and fines as much as Rs 2 crore. Offences can be cognizable and non-bailable, with authorities empowered to go looking, seize, and arrest with out a warrant in some instances.Krishnan acknowledged that the brand new legislation might result in losses of Rs 15,000–20,000 crore yearly in GST collections. However, he pressured that income concerns have been secondary. “When the government has a larger social objective in mind, revenue loss is not the primary consideration. In any case, the bill had the approval and the consent of the Finance Ministry as well,” he mentioned.The authorities has underscored that the Bill is aimed toward stopping habit, monetary losses, and excessive penalties reminiscent of suicides linked to cash gaming. Reports of cash laundering and terror financing have additionally pushed the necessity for tighter regulation.At the identical time, the legislation seeks to provide e-sports authorized backing for the primary time in India. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will arrange a devoted framework for its promotion, whereas on-line social video games may also be inspired.