Amid ruckus, the Lok Sabha today passed a bill that seeks to encourage innovation in gaming and safeguarding society from the potential harm of technology misuse.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, was cleared by the Lower House by voice vote.

​While introducing the bill, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted India’s commitment towards digital innovation over the past 11 years. He also named some forerunner schemes including 'Digital India' and 'Startup India.'

The minister said the government wants to promote two segments of online gaming, which are ‘e-sports’ and ‘online social games’, but he criticised the third segment, which is ‘Online money gaming’, by stating it causes serious consequences among youths, including financial losses or even suicides.

Minister Vaishnaw cited media reports related to youth suicides in Karnataka as a consequence of ‘Online money gaming.’ He also highlighted a WHO report pointing towards the psychological stress caused due to money losses in such games.

The Bill aims to regulate e-sports and online social games while curbing the harmful online gaming services, advertisements, and financial transactions related to them. Moreover, this bill also outlaws all online Betting and Gambling, including Online Fantasy Sports, online Gambling, and Lotteries.

Moreover, the Online Gaming Bill will also protect the youth from predatory online Real Money Gaming apps that manipulate ‘monetary return promises’ that put youth and their families under financial stress.

The Online Gaming Bill will work collaboratively for the promotion of e-sports, for which the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports will establish a dedicated framework. Moreover, MeitY and MIB will extend support to online gaming for improving educational and cultural values among gamers.

The Online Gaming Bill has key provisions intended to create a healthy gaming environment, including :- Promotion and Recognition of e-sports, Promotion of Social and Educational Games, Prohibition of Harmful Online Money Games, and Establishment of an Online Gaming Authority.

The bill also includes the provisions of penalties and offences under some key sections which are cognizable and non-bailable. Moreover, the Central Government may authorise the officers to investigate, search and seize digital or physical property linked to offences.

Legal provisions of the bill align with the previous acts wherein betting and gambling are restricted or punishable, such as in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, as well as various State government legislations.