Government Enacts Online Gaming Act 2025, Prohibits All Forms of Online Money Games and Promotes Safe Digital Ecosystem
Government Enacts Online Gaming Act 2025, Prohibits All Forms of Online Money Games and Promotes Safe Digital Ecosystem
The Government is committed to ensuring a safe, responsible and accountable online gaming ecosystem in the country. In this context, the Government has enacted the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (“Gaming Act”) with the objective of promoting innovation in e-sports and online social games and prohibiting online money games.
The Gaming Act comprehensively prohibits all forms of online money games, whether involving games of chance, games of skill, or any combination thereof. It also prohibits the advertising, promotion, and facilitation of such games, as well as the processing of related financial transactions through banks or payment systems. The Act further empowers authorities to block access to unlawful platforms under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The Gaming Act also prescribes stringent penalties for violations. Offering online money games or facilitating financial transactions for such online money games may attract imprisonment of up to three years or a fine up to one crore rupees or both. Second/Subsequent conviction for offering or facilitating online money games may attract a minimum of 3 years of imprisonment which may extend up to 5 years and a fine of minimum one crore rupees which may extend up to two crore rupees. Advertising such online money games is punishable with imprisonment of up to two years or a fine up to fifty lakh rupees or both. Second/Subsequent conviction for advertising such online money games may attract a minimum of 2 years of imprisonment which may extend up to 3 years and a fine of minimum fifty lakh rupees which may extend up to one crore rupees.
In addition to the above, the Gaming Act also provides for the recognition and promotion of e-sports and online social games, the establishment of the Online Gaming Authority of India, a transparent registration mechanism for online games, a grievance-redressal system for users, and safeguards against prohibited online money games and associated harms.
The national-level Online Gaming Authority will be responsible for classifying and registering permissible games, determining whether a game constitutes a money game, issuing codes of practice, and addressing public grievances. By empowering a central regulatory authority, the Act aims to provide coordinated policy support, effective oversight, and to position India as a global leader in the online gaming domain, while ensuring that technological growth aligns with the national interest and the principles of consumer protection.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has published the draft Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2025 for public consultation on 2nd October, 2025, which seeks to operationalize the Gaming Act. Feedback comments from public including stakeholders have been invited in line with the Government’s commitment of inclusive approach towards law-making.
The information was submitted today in the Lok Sabha in a written reply to Shri Rao Rajendra Singh by Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs.