India Approves Bill Outlawing Online Money Games
(MENAFN) In a decisive move to curb the growing influence of gambling on digital platforms, India's parliament has officially passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025, effectively outlawing all online games involving monetary stakes, according to officials Thursday.
The controversial legislation, which criminalizes online gaming for money, was cleared by the upper house on Thursday amid loud protests and without any formal debate. Its passage came just one day after it was approved by the lower house.
Under the new law, all advertisements promoting money-based online games are banned. It also prohibits banks and financial entities from processing or facilitating payments tied to such platforms.
Experts have raised concerns that the popularity of money-based gaming stems from promises of high returns, luring users into risky behavior. The legislation targets this trend by introducing strict penalties—violations could lead to up to three years in prison and fines as high as 10 million Indian rupees (approximately $114,600 USD).
While presenting the bill in the upper house, India’s federal Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw warned of intense opposition from powerful industry players.
"The money-gaming addiction is like drug addiction. The powerful people behind online money games will challenge the decision in the courts. They will run social media campaigns against this ban. We have seen the impact of games," Vaishnaw said.
The law is expected to face legal scrutiny and pushback from stakeholders in India’s booming online gaming sector, but the government maintains that the public welfare justifies the ban.
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