New Delhi: The Lok Sabha witnessed heated scenes on Wednesday as Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tabled the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The move has triggered alarm within the online gaming industry, which warned that an outright ban on real-money games could severely harm the sector.
The draft law seeks to establish a national regulatory framework for the rapidly expanding online gaming market, including e-sports, educational platforms, and social games. A key provision of the Bill declares: “No person shall offer, aid, abet, induce, or otherwise engage in the offering of an online money game or online money gaming service.”
The introduction was marked by raucous protests from Opposition members, forcing an adjournment shortly after the Bill was presented. Proceedings resumed only at 2 p.m.
The legislation calls for the creation of a specialised Authority tasked with policy coordination, industry oversight, and ensuring regulatory compliance. It also proposes a complete ban on online money games that cross state boundaries or operate from foreign jurisdictions, citing risks of addiction, fraud, privacy breaches, and threats to financial security and national sovereignty.
The Bill underscores the need to protect young players and vulnerable groups, while also aiming to maintain public order and uphold the integrity of India’s digital ecosystem.
Industry Raises Alarm
The online gaming sector has strongly opposed the proposal to outlaw all real-money games, including those based on skill, warning that such a move could trigger massive job losses and widespread shutdowns. Industry bodies have written to Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking urgent intervention to safeguard responsible Indian platforms.
In a joint representation, the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), E-Gaming Federation (EGF), and the Federation of India Fantasy Sports (FIFS) cautioned that the Bill could wipe out over two lakh jobs, force more than 400 companies to shut operations, and weaken India’s standing as a digital innovation hub. They described the measure as a potential “death knell” for a legitimate and rapidly growing sector.
Industry representatives further highlighted that online skill gaming is a sunrise industry with an enterprise valuation exceeding ₹2 lakh crore, generating annual revenues of ₹31,000 crore and contributing more than ₹20,000 crore in taxes.
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