India Passes |THE LOK SABHA HAS | the Online Gaming Promotion |LOK SABHA HAS PASSED | and Regulation Bill, 2025: |SABHA HAS PASSED THE | What It Means for |HAS PASSED THE PROMOTION | Esports and Real Money |PASSED THE PROMOTION AND | Gaming

The |THE PROMOTION AND REGULATION | data-end="429" data-start="348">Lok Sabha has |PROMOTION AND REGULATION OF | passed the Promotion and |AND REGULATION OF ONLINE | Regulation of Online Gaming |REGULATION OF ONLINE GAMING | Bill, 2025, despite protests |OF ONLINE GAMING BILL, | from opposition parties. This |ONLINE GAMING BILL, 2025, | landmark legislation aims to |GAMING BILL, 2025, DESPITE | regulate and |BILL, 2025, DESPITE PROTESTS | promote India’s online gaming |2025, DESPITE PROTESTS FROM | sector, providing clarity for |DESPITE PROTESTS FROM OPPOSITION | esports while imposing strict |PROTESTS FROM OPPOSITION PARTIES. | restrictions on real money |FROM OPPOSITION PARTIES. THIS | gaming platforms.

Key |OPPOSITION PARTIES. THIS LANDMARK | Highlights of the Bill

|PARTIES. THIS LANDMARK LEGISLATION | data-end="804" data-start="696">The bill proposes |THIS LANDMARK LEGISLATION AIMS | the establishment of a |LANDMARK LEGISLATION AIMS TO | central regulatory |LEGISLATION AIMS TO REGULATE | authority to oversee four |AIMS TO REGULATE AND | main categories:

1. |TO REGULATE AND PROMOTE | data-end="821" data-start="805">

   |REGULATE AND PROMOTE INDIA’S | data-end="819" data-start="808">Esports

2. |AND PROMOTE INDIA’S ONLINE | data-end="848" data-start="825">Educational |PROMOTE INDIA’S ONLINE GAMING | Games

3. |INDIA’S ONLINE GAMING SECTOR, | data-start="852">Social Gaming

4. |ONLINE GAMING SECTOR, PROVIDING | data-end="898" data-start="872">

   |GAMING SECTOR, PROVIDING CLARITY | data-end="896" data-start="875">Real Money Gaming

|SECTOR, PROVIDING CLARITY FOR | data-end="1115" data-start="900">The |PROVIDING CLARITY FOR ESPORTS | data-start="904">“Prohibitions” clause prohibits anyone |CLARITY FOR ESPORTS WHILE | from offering, facilitating, or |FOR ESPORTS WHILE IMPOSING | promoting online money games. |ESPORTS WHILE IMPOSING STRICT | Banks and financial institutions |WHILE IMPOSING STRICT RESTRICTIONS | are also barred from |IMPOSING STRICT RESTRICTIONS ON | processing transactions related to |STRICT RESTRICTIONS ON REAL | these services.

The |RESTRICTIONS ON REAL MONEY | “Offences and |ON REAL MONEY GAMING | Penalties” clause specifies that |REAL MONEY GAMING PLATFORMS. | service providers found offering |MONEY GAMING PLATFORMS. | real money games may |GAMING PLATFORMS. KEY | face up |PLATFORMS. KEY HIGHLIGHTS | to three years in | KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF | prison or fines of |KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE | up to |HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BILL | Rs 1 crore. Advertising |OF THE BILL THE | such platforms can lead |THE BILL THE BILL | to up |BILL THE BILL PROPOSES | to two years in |THE BILL PROPOSES THE | prison or fines of |BILL PROPOSES THE ESTABLISHMENT | Rs 50 |PROPOSES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF | lakh. The government cited |THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A | social, financial, |ESTABLISHMENT OF A CENTRAL | and psychological harms, particularly |OF A CENTRAL REGULATORY | among young people and |A CENTRAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY | economically disadvantaged groups, as |CENTRAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY TO | reasons for these strict |REGULATORY AUTHORITY TO OVERSEE | measures.

Impact on |AUTHORITY TO OVERSEE FOUR | Cricket and Sports Sponsorship

|TO OVERSEE FOUR MAIN | data-end="1989" data-start="1623">The legislation could |OVERSEE FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES: | significantly affect |FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES: | data-start="1666">Indian cricket, which has |MAIN CATEGORIES: ESPORTS | seen a surge in |CATEGORIES: ESPORTS | sponsorships from real money | ESPORTS EDUCATIONAL | gaming companies. |ESPORTS EDUCATIONAL GAMES | data-start="1759">Dream11, for example, contributes | EDUCATIONAL GAMES | roughly Rs |EDUCATIONAL GAMES SOCIAL | 358 crore as a |GAMES SOCIAL GAMING | team sponsor, while | SOCIAL GAMING | data-end="1861" data-start="1847">My11Circle holds IPL |SOCIAL GAMING REAL | fantasy rights worth |GAMING REAL MONEY | data-end="1925" data-start="1893">Rs 625 crore | REAL MONEY GAMING | over five years. Many |REAL MONEY GAMING | top cricketers also endorse |MONEY GAMING THE | these platforms personally.

|GAMING THE “PROHIBITIONS” | data-start="1991">Sports lawyer | THE “PROHIBITIONS” CLAUSE | data-start="2005">Vidushpat Singhania commented:
|THE “PROHIBITIONS” CLAUSE PROHIBITS | data-end="2042">"Cricket remains |“PROHIBITIONS” CLAUSE PROHIBITS ANYONE | immensely popular, so sponsors |CLAUSE PROHIBITS ANYONE FROM | will continue to support |PROHIBITS ANYONE FROM OFFERING, | the sport. However, personal |ANYONE FROM OFFERING, FACILITATING, | endorsement opportunities may decrease, |FROM OFFERING, FACILITATING, OR | and fan engagement might |OFFERING, FACILITATING, OR PROMOTING | decline. Fantasy apps could |FACILITATING, OR PROMOTING ONLINE | switch to subscription-based models, |OR PROMOTING ONLINE MONEY | though revenues may drop."

|PROMOTING ONLINE MONEY GAMES. | data-end="2331" data-start="2306">A Boost for |ONLINE MONEY GAMES. BANKS | Esports

For the |MONEY GAMES. BANKS AND | esports industry, |GAMES. BANKS AND FINANCIAL | the bill is considered |BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS | a major breakthrough. |AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE | data-end="2425" data-start="2408">Akshat Rathee, Co-founder |FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE ALSO | and MD of |INSTITUTIONS ARE ALSO BARRED | data-end="2465" data-start="2448">NODWIN Gaming, stated:
|ARE ALSO BARRED FROM | data-start="2474" data-end="2477">"The |ALSO BARRED FROM PROCESSING | government's recognition and promotion |BARRED FROM PROCESSING TRANSACTIONS | of esports is a |FROM PROCESSING TRANSACTIONS RELATED | positive step towards building |PROCESSING TRANSACTIONS RELATED TO | a structured and globally |TRANSACTIONS RELATED TO THESE | competitive ecosystem."

With |RELATED TO THESE SERVICES. | esports preparing for its |TO THESE SERVICES. | Olympic debut |THESE SERVICES. THE | in 2027, the bill |SERVICES. THE “OFFENCES | provides legitimacy | THE “OFFENCES AND | and regulatory clarity, potentially |THE “OFFENCES AND PENALTIES” | ushering in a new |“OFFENCES AND PENALTIES” CLAUSE | era of gaming in |AND PENALTIES” CLAUSE SPECIFIES | India.

Conclusion

|PENALTIES” CLAUSE SPECIFIES THAT | data-start="2813">The Promotion |CLAUSE SPECIFIES THAT SERVICE | and Regulation of Online |SPECIFIES THAT SERVICE PROVIDERS | Gaming Bill, 2025 represents |THAT SERVICE PROVIDERS FOUND | a critical step in |SERVICE PROVIDERS FOUND OFFERING | shaping India’s gaming landscape. |PROVIDERS FOUND OFFERING REAL | While it imposes strict |FOUND OFFERING REAL MONEY | rules on real money |OFFERING REAL MONEY GAMES | gaming, it |REAL MONEY GAMES MAY | data-start="2993">legitimizes esports and skill-based |MONEY GAMES MAY FACE | gaming, offering a framework |GAMES MAY FACE UP | for growth and international |MAY FACE UP TO | recognition. This bill could |FACE UP TO THREE | redefine the future of |UP TO THREE YEARS | gaming and sports sponsorships |TO THREE YEARS IN | in India.

|THREE YEARS IN PRISON |