India Enacts Historic Online Gambling Ban: End of $2.3B Fantasy Cricket Era

A Landmark Legislative Move

India's Parliament has passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, marking one of the most significant regulatory interventions in the country's digital gaming landscape. The comprehensive legislation, which received President Droupadi Murmu's assent on August 22, 2025, effectively bans all forms of real-money online gaming while simultaneously promoting e-sports and educational games.

The Staggering Financial Impact

The government's decision was driven by alarming statistics that revealed the massive scale of financial harm caused by online gambling platforms. According to official government figures, 450 million people across India were losing a combined $2.3 billion annually to these applications.

"Over ₹20,000 crore of middle-class families' hard-earned money was being destroyed annually" - IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

What's Banned and What's Promoted

Banned Platforms

The bill prohibits all "online money games"—defined as any game where users deposit money with the expectation of monetary returns.

The Human Cost: A Public Health Crisis

The government's justification centers on documented social harm. Karnataka alone recorded 32 gaming-related suicides in just 31 months.