A day after the Lok Sabha passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, the Rajya Sabha on Thursday cleared it on the last day of the Monsoon Session. The bill aims to prohibit harmful online money gaming platforms, while encouraging e-sports and online social games.
The bill was introduced in Parliament on Wednesday following a brief statement by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology. It cleared the lower house even as the Opposition staged a protest.
The legislation also aims to ban advertisements for online money games and prevent banks or financial institutions from handling or transferring money related to such games. It also proposes to outlaw all forms of online betting and gambling, including online games like poker and rummy, as well as fantasy sports.
Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 passed by the Rajya Sabha.
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The new rules are expected to have a significant impact on India’s $3.8 billion gaming sector, which has drawn global investment and given rise to popular fantasy sports platforms such as Dream11, Games24X7 and Mobile Premier League.
Under the bill, money-based online games will be treated as an offence, punishable with up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to Rs 1 crore. Repeat violations could invite stricter penalties of three to five years’ imprisonment and fines reaching up to Rs 2 crore.
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