Centre to Table Gaming Bill Today: Real Money Games Face Ban

All-Inclusive Legislation Aimed At Real-Money Online Gaming Companies

The Lok Sabha has initiated an extremely risky action yet again. On August 20, 2025, the Lok Sabha passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. This is a meaningful shift in India's perception of leisure time activities in the digital realm and an appropriate entry into specific anti-money betting laws previously discussed in the campaign to regulate money-based online games.  

If this bill passes,  online gambling games will be banned indefinitely, with money adhering to addictive tendencies now focusing on other tendencies and something possibly worse. Currently, India has nearly 400 million gamers, making the Gaming Regulation Bill a hot-topic issue for actors like investors and techies.

Key Aspects of the Bill

Even though the bill states that the provisions apply only to new online gambling in the state, the legislation makes clear that no online game that allows the player to wager funds with a potential monetary return, including, but not limited to, fantasy sports, poker, or rummy with real-money pools, would be permissible. 

If found in violation of the law, operators can face fines of up to $1.2 million and prison time. However, games that are purely based on skill and do not allow players to put up stakes are exempt from this law. The bill also imposes stricter age verification, with the requirement that platforms implement government-approved ID verification. 

Parliament Debate and Stakeholder Responses 

Today, the Lok Sabha will debate the bill, eliciting differing responses. Members of the opposition have argued that it will cripple an industry worth US$3.5 billion and cost thousands of jobs.  In contrast, supporters of the bill see a 2025.  

National Health Survey linking real-money gaming to increases in mental health problems in the youth. The biggest gaming companies are not asking to ban; they are advocating for a regulatory framework, while they cite their contributions to local and state revenues, they also cite the growth of the esports industry.

What are the Economic and Social Implications? 

Industry experts suggest that there will be short-term revenue impacts as a result of the passage of the bill for platforms such as Dream11 and MPL. In this regard, the All India Gaming Federation fears that some investors who were offered over $500 million in investment deals will now back off.  

Social advocates have pointed to enabling a better situation for consumers with protection laws being put to work, as the association value of complaints levelled against industry gaming apps has been reported to the association is at 70% in 2024.  The bill indicates there will potentially be a regulatory authority that could supervise compliance and disputes flagged by players.

Balancing Industry Growth and Consumer Protection

The Gaming Regulation Bill represents a landmark change for how Indian lawmakers declare governance of digital entertainment. This could set a trailblazer for other countries worldwide to find an equilibrium between the growth of industry and the protection of consumers. 

As Parliament debates continue, the results will depend on finding a satisfying relationship with direct benefits for economic impact and the best possible outcome for society. Industry stakeholders anticipate the implementation date of the Gaming Regulation Bill and the existence of transitional provisions for existing platforms..

Those found guilty of violating these provisions could face penalties of imprisonment up to three years and fines up to Rs. 1 crore if they operate such games, and imprisonment for 2 years and fines of Rs. 50 lakh if they promote these games. Various categories of custodians could similarly be penalised if they facilitate transactions in online money gaming services, or if they promote these services.