Explained: What are the banned online games? How will industry be affected?
India’s booming online gaming industry, valued at Rs 320 crore today and projected to reach Rs 910 crore by 2029, faces a seismic shift.
On August 20, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tabled the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, seeking to ban all real-money online games.
The Bill defines an “online money game” as any digital game, skill-based, chance-based, or hybrid, where users pay entry fees or deposit money in the hope of winning cash or equivalent rewards. E-sports and online social games are excluded.
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The law would outlaw:
The Bill also bars banks and financial institutions from facilitating transactions on such platforms. Violators face up to three years in jail and Rs 1 crore in fines, while influencers promoting such games could be jailed for two years and fined Rs 50 lakh.
Why is the ban being proposed?
The government argues that unregulated real-money gaming has:
On August 20, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tabled the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, seeking to ban all real-money online games.
The Bill defines an “online money game” as any digital game, skill-based, chance-based, or hybrid, where users pay entry fees or deposit money in the hope of winning cash or equivalent rewards. E-sports and online social games are excluded.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
The law would outlaw:
- Fantasy sports platforms like Dream11, MPL, My11Circle
- Card games such as Poker, Rummy
- Online lotteries and betting formats
The Bill also bars banks and financial institutions from facilitating transactions on such platforms. Violators face up to three years in jail and Rs 1 crore in fines, while influencers promoting such games could be jailed for two years and fined Rs 50 lakh.
Why is the ban being proposed?
The government argues that unregulated real-money gaming has:
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