Saralnama
The Rajya Sabha passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which bans all online games involving real money, citing concerns over addiction, money laundering, and user safety. The legislation promotes esports, educational, and social games while prohibiting online money games, their advertisements, and related financial transactions. The bill aims to protect citizens and curb social harm but has raised concerns about its impact on over 400 Indian gaming companies and more than 200,000 jobs. Industry experts and legal professionals have criticized the bill for not distinguishing between games of skill and chance, ignoring judicial precedents, and potentially driving users to unregulated offshore platforms. The government estimates that 45 crore people suffer losses of around Rs 20,000 crore annually due to online money gaming. The bill also seeks to establish a national regulatory framework for the sector, but its passage has sparked protests and legal challenges, with calls for reconsideration and a more nuanced regulatory approach. (Updated 21 Aug 2025, 20:59 IST; source: link)