Real Money Gaming Banned To Boost Esports
Featured image: Microsoft Copilot
The Indian Lok Sabha has passed a historic gaming bill to help regulate multiple aspects of the gaming industry in India. The fields include that of esports, educational gaming, and social gaming, and the highly contested real money gaming. There has also been a central regulatory body that has been established by the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming, 2025.
The bill’s approval aims at making a substantial shift in India's online gaming laws by creating a precise legal framework. Poker and fantasy sports as part of the real money gaming platforms are specifically targeted by the bill, which completely hinders their operations. Banks and financial institutions have been prohibited from allowing the processing of payments connected to these platforms as part of cutting off their funding sources. Any providers found offering real money gaming will be fined Rs 1 crore (which is equivalent to ￡85,000) or face imprisonment for up to 3 years. Any promotion of these platforms also could result in legal repercussions, which include Rs 50 lakh (equivalent to ￡42,000) or face up to two years in jail.
The esports community however, has shown full support to recognizing and welcoming the bill, with co-founder of NODWIN Gaming Akshat Rathee calling it “an encouraging step towards building a structured and globally competitive system.” This law is expected to help boost the legitimacy of the industry in India, by providing regulatory support and recognition, considering that esports makes its Olympic debut in 2027. The approach this bill seeks is to address the problems associated with real money wagering while promoting and regulating safe online gaming.
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Written by Jeffrey Osei-Agyeman
Credit: esportsinsider.com
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