Parliament approved an important bill on August 21 to regulate online gaming and promote educational and social online games. The name of the bill is ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025’. Through this bill, a step has been taken to ban all types of online real money games. Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has described these real money games as a bigger threat to drugs, which is growing very fast.
In an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol, the Union Minister said on online real money games that problems related to such sports have become a ‘social threat’. If it is left like this, then it can be out of control. The President’s approval is now awaited on the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. It was approved by Rajya Sabha on 21 August. It has already passed from the Lok Sabha. This bill will become law after the President’s approval.
Families are being destroyed
Ashwini Vaishnav says, “We have seen many cases where the whole families were affected, where students also resorted to crime due to sinking in debt through these platforms. If we had not yet taken action, it would have become uncontrollable.” The minister insisted that the government should give priority to middle class families instead of industry concerns, which are being destroyed.
During the interview, Vaishnav said that the World Health Organization (WHO) has formally recognized gaming disorder as a disease under its International Classification of Diseases.
Presenting the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Vaishnav said that online money game has become a matter of great concern in society today. There are many individuals who get addicted to it and they blow the saving of life in online games.
How many fines and punishment in the bill
This bill bans all types of online betting and gambling activities. These include games like poker, rami. The bill provides for imprisonment of up to 3 years and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore on offering online money gaming or facilitating online money gaming. Advertising a money game can imprison up to 2 years and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh. Promoting financial transactions related to money games can be imprisoned up to 3 years and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore. Repeated crime can be imprisoned with imprisonment of 3 to 5 years and an increased punishment with a fine of up to Rs 2 crore.
Through the new bill, the government will not only ban online money games, but will also promote e-sports and online social games. The government considers them non-addictive and beneficial. Vaishnav said, “We are improving gaming ecosystem by ways to improve society, e-sports and social games come in this category.” There is also a provision to set up an authority to promote online gaming sector, including e-Sports, Educational and Social Games.