Overview

• President Droupadi Murmu signed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 on August 22, turning it into law with enforcement to begin on a notified date.
• The Act bans offering or promoting online money games, prohibits banks and other financial firms from processing related payments, and sets penalties up to three years’ imprisonment and ₹1 crore, with stricter terms for repeat offenders and separate penalties for advertisers.
• Major platforms including Dream11/Dream Sports, MPL, Games24x7’s My11Circle and RummyCircle, Gameskraft’s RummyCulture, PokerBaazi, WinZO, Zupee and Probo have suspended cash games, disabled deposits and are allowing withdrawals.
• Industry groups and companies are consulting lawyers on a Supreme Court challenge, citing lack of consultation and arguing that certain formats such as poker are skill-based and should be exempted, according to Reuters.
• The law also promotes esports and social or educational games and foresees a central authority to categorise, register and oversee titles.