The promotion and the regulation of the Online Gaming Bill 2025 have been passed in the Rajya Sabha on August 21, 2025, which has cleared the Union Cabinet and both Houses of Parliament within the next three days. The government aims to move quickly to ban the real money games (RMGs).

The law will now head toward President Droupadi Murmu’s desk for her signature, which will lead it to an Act. The move could render many fantasy leagues like Dream11, MPL, and PokerBaazi’s main revenue activities of pay-to-play-based gaming platforms, which are now expected to be crushed overnight.

“It is the responsibility of the government and Parliament to take strict action against malpractices in society, like chit funds. Problems (due to online money games) have led to several families being destroyed.” Union Minister for Electronic and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, expressed at the Upper House of Parliament that MPs across party lines would support the law.

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The Bill has been passed to the Upper House Clause-by-clause, amidst all the loud cheers and allegations of ‘vote theft’ from the opposition parties, two MPs, CPI’s John Brittas, and V. Sivadasan, as it moved the proposals purportedly to amend the Bill on certain clauses. However, they took the floor to repeat the allegations, as the deputy chairman, Harivansh, addressed that these remarks wouldn’t be taken on record.

Rapid process of Online Gaming Bill 2025

Vaishnaw observed that the law won’t be subject to the prolonged timelines of the other key laws, which have been worked on by the IT Ministry, named the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. The regulations were worked out after months of consultations with the industry and the other stakeholders.

“With a prohibition, you can’t do consultations. With a prohibition, you can’t do consultations.” Vaishnaw expressed that the bill includes a prohibition.

The Bill is being referred to as the online money games in the text, with the industry yet to comment on it, but reportedly has appealed in a letter to the Home Minister, Amit Shah, to reprieve the ban. Probo, which is an opinion trading firm for permitting wagers on the outcomes of various events, has called the passed Bill really unfortunate and declared that it would suspend the real money gaming product.

After a short notification after the Bill’s enactment, as highlighted by Mr. Vaishnaw, it would bring a change immediately. The Ministers of Youth Affairs, the Sports, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting would take various steps to promote e-sports, as the government pointed out in the statement.

Nazara Technologies invested nearly US$122 million in PokerBaazi and saw a dip of 2% on August 21. It has fallen about 15% since the Bill was spoken about in the Lok Sabha.

“Nazara has no direct exposure to real money gaming (RMG) businesses. The Company’s only indirect exposure to RMG is through its 46.07% stake in Moonshine Technologies Private Limited (PokerBaazi). As Nazara does not hold a majority stake or exercise control, Moonshine’s revenue is not consolidated in the Company’s financial statements and has no impact on the Company’s reported Revenue or EBITDA.” The firm expressed in a filing with the bourses.

Delta Corp. Ltd., a casino and gaming firm, owns the poker platform Adda52, which has seen a record dip of 3.14%.

Government issues media statement on Online Gaming Bills 2025

The government released a media statement on the Online Gaming bill development, where they claimed that the platforms are often used for financial fraud, money laundering, and messaging activity that threatens national security.

“The government believes that the harms of addiction, financial loss, and even extreme consequences such as suicides associated with online money gaming can be prevented by preventing such activities.” The media statement released by the government, as claimed by CricTracker, addressed

“Additionally, online money gaming platforms are often misused for financial fraud, money laundering, terror financing, and messaging activity that compromises national security.” It added.

BCCI secretary clarifies stance on Online Gaming Bill 2025

The secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Devajit Saikia, clarifies the stance of the board, stating that the cricketing body will follow all the rules and regulations and will not do anything that is not permitted.

“The act has just been discussed in the Lok Sabha today and the Rajya Sabha yesterday. It would then take a final shape, go through Presidential assent, and then there will be a 'date of appointment.' We will then read it, and then only we will take a call on whatever is there.” The BCCI secretary was quoted as saying by TOI.  

“The BCCI will not do anything which is not permitted by the government or by any law of the country. The BCCI will not violate any of the laws enforced in the country. That's very clear.” Saikia expressed.

The veteran also highlighted that they won’t do anything that is not under permission. Saikia also questioned if the BCCI has any companies or sponsorship in the cigarettes and liquor companies.

“Once the act comes into force, we will look into it, examine it, and if it's permissible, then we will take sponsorship (from online betting and gaming companies), if it's not permissible, we'll not do anything. Take the example of cigarettes and liquor. Has the BCCI taken any sponsorship from the cigarettes and liquor companies, since taking sponsorship from these kinds of companies was banned?” Devajit Saikia said in the same interaction.

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“So, whatever is permissible in the laws in force in our country, we will do that only. The BCCI will follow every policy of the country that is framed by the central government.” The BCCI secretary revealed.

Effect of Online Gaming Bill 2025 on cricket revenue

The Online Gaming Bill 2025 can put the multi-billion-dollar fantasy gaming industry at risk. It aims to put an end to the vast diversity of the online gaming fraternity, including eSports, social, and casual gaming, real money gaming, and educational gaming. There are restrictions to the online money game, as recent reports have claimed.

“No person shall offer, aid, abet, induce, or otherwise facilitate any transaction or authorization of funds towards payment for any online money gaming service.” The Prohibition Act explains. As per the offences and the penalties, real money gaming is a crime and could lead to jail, and the service provider could also get fined a handsome amount.

The Economic Times reports reveal that the Indian cricket team’s title rights bag a whopping sum of INR 358 crore from the Dream11 partnership, while, on the flip side, the My11Circle pays a fee of INR 625 crore to buy the IPL fantasy gaming rights for a slot of five years. In the Indian Sports community, the fantasy sports companies pay a huge amount.

From Dream11 to My11Circle, it’s a given-take act. The My11Circle is even the official sports partner of the Indian Premier League (IPL), something which Dream11 was part of in the past. That gives birth to trust among the users.

The clauses of the bill state that real money gaming is putting a lot of pressure on social problems and will need regulations. The first and second rules of the ninth clause mention the implications of the real money gaming services or advertisements.

The first, the punishment shall be imprisonment for a huge term up to three years or a fine up to rupees one crore, or both. For the second, it comes down to an imprisonment of two years or a fine of rupees fifty lakhs or both.

“Cricket is huge in India, and there won’t be any dearth of sponsors for Indian cricket and its properties. However, the personal sponsorship market can shrink because of this bill.” The renowned sports lawyer, Vidushpat Singhania, spoke on the matter as per the PTI.

Apart from the sponsorship or the right deals, the individual sports stars also get endorsements from these companies, which can be valued at crores. That will be another issue.

As per the bill, the paying and earning money on the real money gaming platforms will be stopped. However, the catch is that they can turn to a subscription-based model to test the analytical skills of the users, but the usual money will be stopped.

“Any person who offers online money gaming service in contravention of section 5 shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with a fine which may extend to one crore rupees or with both.” Clause 9 (1) reads.

“Any person who makes or causes to make an advertisement in any media, in contravention of section 6, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with a fine which may extend to fifty lakh rupees or with both.” Clause 9 (2) reads.

There is no doubt that the multi-billion dollar industry is facing a huge setback, which could be highlighted in the sponsorship deals along with the clubs and franchises of the game, more so of Indian cricket.

It has made a new issue, which finds the Indian team in danger of losing their jersey sponsor for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which is set to begin in the second week of September. The BCCI has already announced the 15-member squad for the tournament, to which there have been multiple reports on the decision of omitting their middle-order batter, Shreyas Iyer, from the squad.

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Due to this new development, BCCI will now need to look for new sponsorship options. The faces of several past and present cricketers, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni included, promoted the fantasy leagues during the series of the national side and even during the Indian Premier League (IPL).

But now that the bill is getting passed, it will be up to the BCCI to take new decisions and paths regarding the matter.  

Expected changes to the gaming industry

With the end of the Online Gaming Bill, it’s expected to change the sports industry. Esports will now get recognized as a legitimate sport, with the sports ministry tasked to frame guidelines. It will support the training academies, technology platforms, and other schemes. This move is also anticipated to unlock the investment, talent pipelines, and broadcast rights to bring the games closer to the mainstream economy.

The national online gaming authority will also be established in categories and register their games. It needs to be determined if it gets qualified as a money game. The body will still need to issue various rules and regulations, and orders to ensure the regulation of the sector.

The bill, which offers a complete ban on offering, operating, or facilitating online money games, can’t be advertised or promoted on any media platform, while the banks and the financial firms are stopped from processing the related transactions.

“No bank, financial institution, or any other person facilitating financial transactions or authorization of funds shall engage in, permit, aid, abet, induce, or otherwise facilitate any transaction or authorization of funds towards payment for any online money gaming service.” The clause was added.

India’s online gaming sector is a whopping USD 3.7 billion in 2025, as per the WinZo-IEIC report, and has been disrupted even since the bill was tabled in the parliament. Nearly 86% of the sector’s revenue originates from the transaction and real-money-based games.

The proposal will affect platforms like Dream11, My11Circle, PokerBaazi, Winzo, Gamescraft, 99Games, and many. But these are the games that have taken the lion’s share of the revenue for these platforms that generated the real money gaming platforms.