The bill officially classifies e-sports as a legitimate discipline. This promotes its structured development with policy support and regulatory oversight. It proposes a complete ban on online games involving money, whether skill-based or chance-based. It also includes fantasy sports played with cash stakes.
Strict Penalties & Enforcement:
These violations will carry tough penalties:
A central body, which may be named the National e-Sports Authority or the Online Gaming Commission, will be established. It will be set up to license, monitor, classify, and regulate gaming platforms. Advertisements for money-based gaming will be banned. All financial institutions will be ruled out from processing related transactions. The Cabinet on August 19, 2025, cleared the bill. Now, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will be introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The big gaming companies like Nazara Technologies and Delta Corp shares dropped by up to 7% as investor sentiment weakened amid regulatory uncertainty.
The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) warned that millions of legitimate gamers can migrate to offshore, unregulated platforms. They’re calling the Bill a “death knell” for the sector.
Experts perceive this as a significant shift in India’s gaming policy. It creates a unified national framework for an industry long hampered by inconsistent state-level oversight. The bill encouraging e-sports while policing real-money gaming seeks to balance industry growth with consumer protection and social responsibility.
There is now a question of whether it will be adopted by Parliament, where provisions, definitions, and implementation details will be subject to further scrutiny and debate.
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