Overview

• The Union Cabinet approved the Promotion & Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025, with sources saying it could be introduced in the Lok Sabha as early as Wednesday.
• The draft would ban all money-based online games—irrespective of skill or chance—with operators facing up to three years’ imprisonment and fines up to ₹1 crore.
• Banks and other financial intermediaries would be prohibited from processing related transactions, and all advertising or endorsements of such platforms would be barred with penalties of up to two years’ jail and fines up to ₹50 lakh for promoters.
• The proposal envisions a central authority, with MeitY involvement, to register and oversee games, promote e-sports, and recognise non-monetary online social games, while not criminalising players.
• Authorities would gain powers to block platforms and conduct search and seizure, as industry groups warn of potential losses including roughly 200,000 jobs and about ₹20,000 crore in annual GST.