Rajya Sabha Passes Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025; Actual-Cash Video games Banned, Esports Recognised

Tarun Karthick

Sri Vijaya Puram, 22 August 2025

The Rajya Sabha handed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, a day after its passage within the Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha accredited it by voice vote on Thursday throughout the Monsoon Session, a day after it was handed within the Lok Sabha.

The legislation marks a sweeping shift in India’s gaming panorama. It imposes a blanket prohibition on on-line “money games” — outlined as video games performed for stakes of money or objects of financial worth — whereas formally recognising e-sports as a legit sport and organising a regulatory mechanism for different classes of on-line play.

Key Provisions:

• Ban on cash video games: Offering, working, or facilitating such video games is prohibited.

• Advertising restrictions: Endorsements or promotions of real-money video games are barred. Violations entice as much as two years’ imprisonment and/or fines of as much as ₹50 lakh.

• Financial cut-off: Banks and cost gateways are barred from processing transactions tied to cash video games.

• Penalties: Offenders might withstand three years in jail and/or fines of as much as ₹1 crore; repeat offences can entice 5 years and ₹2 crore. Core offences are cognizable and non-bailable.

• Regulatory physique: A central Online Gaming Authority will probably be set as much as categorise video games, adjudicate complaints, and concern tips.

• Esports recognition: The Sports Ministry will deal with e-sports on par with different sports activities, with plans to assist academies, analysis, and coverage integration.

• Social/academic video games: The authorities might register and assist age-appropriate video games selling talent, tradition, and digital literacy.

The Rajya Sabha handed the invoice with out debate as opposition MPs staged protests over electoral roll points, resulting in a voice vote after proposed amendments have been rejected.

The laws immediately impacts fantasy sports activities, poker, rummy, and different real-money gaming platforms resembling Dream11, MPL, My11Circle, WinZO, RummyCircle, PokerBaazi, Games24x7, Junglee, Gameskraft and so forth. 

With each Houses of Parliament having handed the invoice, it would now be despatched to the President of India for assent. Once the President offers approval and the legislation is notified within the official gazette, its provisions will come into pressure as stipulated.