Under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian federal cabinet has approved the "2025 Online Gaming Promotion and Regulation Act," which is seen as India's first national legislation specifically targeting real-money online gaming, and is expected to be submitted to Parliament for review soon.
The core goal of the new bill is to unify national regulatory standards, curb differences in online gambling governance among states, and address public concerns about addiction, fraud, and illegal financial activities.
According to the draft, any digital game involving deposits or bets to win money or rewards will be considered as "online money games", explicitly excluding esports and social casual games.
The bill stipulates that operating, promoting, or providing financial support for such games is illegal.
Illegal operators and financial assistants: up to three years imprisonment, or a fine of ten million rupees (about 120,000 USD); repeat offenders up to five years imprisonment.
Advertisers and endorsers: up to two years imprisonment, and a fine of fifty million rupees (about 600,000 USD). Notably, players themselves will not face prosecution, as the bill defines them as victims of a predatory system.
The regulatory body will be responsible for determining whether a game qualifies as a real-money online game, and provide legal basis for operators, users, and law enforcement agencies through investigations.
As this legislation is introduced, the Indian government is intensifying its crackdown on illegal online gambling. Between 2022 and June 2025 alone, the government has ordered the blocking of 1,524 related websites and applications. Additionally, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently summoned executives from Google and Meta to investigate their potential liability in illegal online gambling and money laundering cases involving several celebrities, influencers, and political figures.
If the bill is approved, India will establish a unified legal framework for real-money online gaming nationwide for the first time, marking the government's strong stance on the issue of online gambling.
