India bans real-money gambling

The Indian Parliament has passed the Online Gaming Promotion and Regulation Act 2025, which radically changes the country’s gaming industry.

The updated legislation prohibits online gambling for real money. However, it supports esports and social games to promote digital creativity and protect citizens from harmful practices.

Statistics show that such platforms have negatively affected more than 450 million Indian citizens. This has resulted in losses of over 200 billion Indian rupees (USD 2.3 million).

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the bill. He called it a step towards transforming India into a center of digital innovation, while protecting citizens from addiction, financial problems, and so on.

The bill sets strict rules for platforms offering real money games. These include poker, rummy, fantasy sports, and others. If you break the new rules, you could face up to three years in jail and a fine of 10 million rupees (US$114,311), with even tougher penalties for repeat offenders.

Financial institutions are prohibited from processing transactions for these games, and advertisers will be subject to severe penalties.

Cyber sports regulation has not been forgotten, either. The National Sports Management Act now officially recognizes such games as a full-fledged sport. The Ministry of Youth and Sports will set tournament standards, create training academies, and include cyber sports in mainstream sports programs.

These changes in legislation have provoked many mixed reactions. Many fear job losses and that players will migrate en masse to unregulated offshore platforms. But supporters also argue that the law provides clarity that will potentially promote the growth of legal gaming sectors.

According to experts, the changes will affect India’s online economy, especially advertising and sponsorship, which are closely linked to real-money gaming. However, the recognition of esports and social gaming is expected to create new opportunities for investment, innovation, and youth engagement.