Parliament passes Online Gaming Bill 2025, bans money games

Guwahati: Parliament on Thursday passed The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, with the Rajya Sabha clearing it amid uproar and without debate.

The legislation, introduced by Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, seeks to ban all forms of online money games while encouraging eSports and social gaming.

The Upper House approved the bill after rejecting amendments proposed by Opposition members. The Lok Sabha had passed it a day earlier.

The bill also prohibits advertisements for online money games and bars banks and financial institutions from facilitating transactions related to them.

According to the government, online money games—where players deposit money in the hope of winning cash or other rewards—pose risks of financial loss and addiction, necessitating regulatory control.