Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 21: A bill to ban the operation, facilitation and advertising of online games played with money was cleared by Parliament after it was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday amid intense protests by the Opposition who alleged the legislation was passed without a discussion.
The “Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025,” was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. With this, the bill clears all the stages within 72 hours including its approval by the Union cabinet on Tuesday as the government moves to quickly ban real money games (RMGs). The law is now headed to President Droupadi Murmu’s desk for her signature, after which it will become an Act.
The legislation which seeks to make online money gaming punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years and/or a fine of up to Rs 1 crore was passed by the upper house by a voice vote. “It is the responsibility of the government and Parliament to take strict action against malpractices in society, like chit funds,” Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said in the Upper House of Parliament, urging MPs across party lines to support the law. “Problems [due to online money games] have led to several families being destroyed.”
The Bill was passed in the Upper House clause-by-clause, even as Opposition legislators loudly chanted slogans on allegations of “vote theft,” and two MPs, CPI(M)’s John Brittas and V. Sivadasan, moved proposals purportedly to amend the Bill or amend certain clauses, but took the floor to repeat the allegations. Deputy chairman Harivansh said these remarks wouldn’t be taken on record.
Once it becomes an Act, the law would ban firms like Dream11 and MPL from taking user deposits for games where players might lose that money. Mr Vaishnaw said the law would not be subject to the prolonged timelines of the other key laws worked on by the IT Ministry, namely the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — the rules are not yet notified for this law, meaning it is not in force yet — and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Those regulations were worked out with months of consultations with the industry and other stakeholders. But those were regulations, and this is a prohibition. “With a prohibition, you can’t do consultations,” Mr Vaishnaw said. “This Bill will be enforced as soon as possible.”
The Bill upends the entire RMG industry, referred to as “online money games” in its text. The industry has yet to comment publicly, but has appealed in a letter to the union home minister Amit Shah for reprieve from the ban.
Tabling the bill in the Upper House, Mr Vaishnaw said: “The money-gaming addiction is like drug addiction. The powerful people behind online money games will challenge the decision in courts. They will run social media campaigns against this ban. We have seen the impact of games and how the money is used to support terror.”
Mr Vaishnaw said a “short” notification would be issued shortly after the Bill’s enactment bringing it into force immediately. The Ministries of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, would take steps to promote e-sports, the government said in a statement.
During the session, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge complained about the absence of a discussion even as Union Minister Kiren Rijiju questioned the possibility of holding such a debate amid the Opposition’s continuous protests.
Besides demanding a discussion on the bill, the Opposition was seeking a debate on the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar by the Election Commission.
An online money game is one played by a user by depositing money in expectation of winning monetary and other enrichment. The bill outlaws all online betting and gambling (satta and jua) activities — from online fantasy sports to online gambling (like Poker, Rummy and other Card games) and online lotteries.
It seeks to prohibit advertisement related to online money games and bars banks and financial institutions from transferring funds for any of such games. Advertising of money games can attract imprisonment up to two years and/or fine up to Rs 50 lakh. Facilitating financial transactions related to money games can lead to imprisonment up to three years and/or fine up to Rs 1 crore. Repeat offences attract enhanced penalties, including three to five years’ imprisonment and fines up to Rs 2 crore. Offences under key sections are sought to be made cognizable and non-bailable.