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57m ago

Parliament Passes Ban on Online Money Games as Major Platforms Halt Paid Play

Presidential assent is pending, prompting platforms to suspend money‑stake features and keep withdrawals accessible.

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Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, cleared by both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha this week, seeks to ban all forms of online money games.
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Overview

  • Rajya Sabha approval on Aug 21 sent the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 to the President, outlawing money‑stake games regardless of skill or chance.
  • The law prescribes up to three years in jail and Rs 1 crore fines for operators, up to two years and Rs 50 lakh for promoters, and bars ads and financial facilitation by banks and intermediaries.
  • MPL, Zupee, Gameskraft and Probo have paused real‑money offerings, while Dream Sports stopped Pay‑to‑Play contests; companies say user balances remain withdrawable.
  • Dream11’s leadership told employees there is no legal pathway for real‑money gaming once the law takes effect, with reports of a wind‑down, and Nazara said it may write down its PokerBaazi investment.
  • IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw cited addiction, losses and WHO’s disorder classification to justify the ban, as industry leaders and Karnataka’s IT minister warned of job losses and a shift to offshore operators.