IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw meets gaming corporations to debate eSports and participant safety

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw met with representatives from the net gaming trade on Monday to debate methods to guard customers’ cash and promote eSports and social video games, reported PTI, citing an official supply.

New on-line gaming legislation

The assembly comes shortly after Parliament handed The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which bans all on-line money-based video games whereas encouraging eSports and skill-based video games. The Act has obtained the President’s assent and can come into impact as soon as formally notified by the federal government.

According to PTI, the discussions centered on making certain a clean transition for gamers and the trade, whereas additionally safeguarding customers’ funds. Officials famous that many gaming corporations have already begun taking steps to adjust to the brand new guidelines.

Banks and fintech search implementation pointers

Last week, banks and fintech corporations held a joint assembly with the Department of Financial Services and the Ministry of Electronics and IT to hunt clear pointers for implementing the legislation. They additionally requested adequate time to construct methods able to monitoring and blocking transactions associated to on-line cash video games.

Under the brand new laws, promoting money-based video games is banned, and banks and monetary establishments are barred from processing funds for such video games. Violations can entice as much as two years in jail and fines of as much as ₹50 lakh, whereas facilitating monetary transactions for cash video games can result in three years’ imprisonment and fines as much as ₹1 crore. Repeat offenders face even stricter penalties, together with three to 5 years in jail and fines of as much as ₹2 crore.

Several main on-line gaming corporations have already shut down their money-based providers voluntarily. However, the federal government faces the continued problem of curbing foreign-based on-line gaming platforms.

Industry estimates recommend that almost 45 crore folks in India misplaced round ₹20,000 crore final 12 months attributable to on-line cash gaming, highlighting the necessity for sturdy regulation.