The Parliament of India has cleared the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, introducing reforms that will ban real-money online games while formally recognising esports as a legitimate sport.
The bill, aimed at addressing concerns over gambling addiction, money laundering, financial frauds, and national security risks, is set to significantly reshape India's 3.7 billion gaming industry, which has drawn global investors and nurtured popular fantasy sports platforms like Dream11, Games24x7, and MPL.
The Lok Sabha passed the bill on August 20, followed by the Rajya Sabha on August 21. With Presidential assent pending, the legislation will soon become law, effectively prohibiting online games that require users to pay money to win cash rewards.