India outlaws real-money gaming with sweeping new bill

The Indian government has taken a decisive step against real-money gaming, with the Lok Sabha passing the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The law imposes a blanket ban on all online games involving monetary stakes, effectively dismantling an industry that has grown rapidly over the past decade on the back of fantasy sports, rummy, poker, and trading platforms.

The bill ends the long-running debate over “games of skill” versus “games of chance,” declaring that any game involving deposits or financial rewards will be illegal. Its provisions extend to offshore platforms accessible in India, granting the government powers to pursue foreign operators.

To choke financial flows, the law prohibits banks, NBFCs, wallets, UPI providers, and payment gateways from processing related transactions. It also bars advertising and endorsements, including those by celebrities and influencers.

The only carve-outs are for:

• E-sports, which will be recognized as competitive sports with entry fees.

• Casual/social games that don’t involve winnings, though developers can still charge subscriptions or access fees.

Strict enforcement and penalties

The legislation includes some of India’s toughest digital enforcement provisions. Offences are cognizable and non-bailable, allowing police to arrest without a warrant and conduct raids.

• Offering real-money games: up to three years in prison and fines of Rs 1 crore.

• Advertising: up to two years in prison and fines of Rs 50 lakh.

• Payment facilitation: same penalty as offering.

• Repeat offences: 3–5 years in prison and fines of Rs 1–2 crore.

Corporate liability extends to directors, promoters, and managers unless they can prove lack of knowledge or due diligence.

New regulator proposed

The bill proposes an Authority on Online Gaming to register platforms, classify games, issue compliance codes, and resolve disputes. The authority, with an initial budget of Rs 50 crore and Rs 20 crore annually, will determine whether a game qualifies as e-sports, social, or money-based.

The impact could be severe: real-money gaming accounted for 85% of India’s gaming industry revenue in FY24—about $3.2 billion of a $3.7 billion market, according to PwC. The sector has attracted $2.78 billion in investment, produced three unicorns (Dream11, Games24x7, MPL), and contributed over Rs 20,000 crore annually in taxes.

Industry bodies warn the ban could destroy over 200,000 jobs, wipe out investor value, and drive users to unregulated offshore platforms.

Government’s justification

The Centre argues the crackdown is essential to curb addiction, financial distress, fraud, and potential terror-financing risks. By eliminating the ambiguity between skill and chance, policymakers say the bill ensures consumer protection while supporting e-sports and social gaming as safer alternatives.

This move comes after earlier attempts to regulate the sector through amendments to the IT Rules, 2021, which had proposed self-regulatory organisations (SROs). However, no SROs were ever formally recognised, leaving the framework ineffective.

Industry associations—the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), the E-Gaming Federation (EGF), and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS)—have urged Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene, warning that the ban undermines Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building a $1 trillion digital economy.

India is seeing a surge in distress linked to real-money gaming apps, with rising suicides, helpline calls, and fraud cases. In Karnataka, police recorded 32 suicides between January 2023 and July 2025 tied to online gambling and debt, The Hindu reported this year. 

Mental health services report similar spikes. Hyderabad suicide helplines saw a 65% rise in calls linked to gaming addiction, especially during the IPL. Such cases jumped from 22% in 2023 to 36.5% in early 2025, mainly among adults aged 20–40, reported Times of India in April.

Clinics have also reported a sharp rise. In May, Deccan Herald reported that at the medical institute NIMHANS’s SHUT Clinic, cases of gaming addiction have climbed to 20–22 a week, up from 3–4 in 2014. Psychiatrists say compulsive play, easy payments, and hopes of quick wins are driving the trend.

Fraud is another concern. CERT-In data show a 55% rise in financial scams tied to gaming apps in 2024–25. The Enforcement Directorate also found the Fiewin app laundered Rs 400 crore through mule accounts and crypto wallets. 

Officials say the pattern highlights why real-money gaming is now seen as a public health and financial risk, not just entertainment.