IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will introduce the proposal, which seeks to promote and regulate online gaming, including e-sports, educational games and social gaming, while imposing strict curbs on online money games.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Bill on Tuesday, making online betting a punishable offence.
Key provisions of the Bill
According to the draft, the proposed law will establish a dedicated Authority responsible for coordinated policy support, strategic development and regulatory oversight of the online gaming industry.
The Bill outlines several objectives:
- Ban on online money games: prohibiting offering, operation, facilitation, advertisement and promotion of online money games, particularly those operating across state borders or from foreign jurisdictions.
- Protection of users: safeguarding individuals, especially the youth and vulnerable groups, from social, economic, psychological and privacy-related harms linked to online gaming.
- Responsible digital usage: ensuring safe adoption of technology while maintaining public order, financial integrity, public health and national security.
- National-level legal framework: providing a uniform regulatory structure to avoid state-level inconsistencies and address cross-border challenges.
Wider implications
The move comes amid growing concerns over rising online gaming addiction, financial frauds, and data privacy risks, particularly among young players. While the Bill intends to encourage the growth of e-sports and educational gaming, it also aims to create clear distinctions between recreational gaming and gambling-like activities. If passed, the law will mark the first centralised, national-level framework to govern India’s online gaming ecosystem, balancing industry growth with consumer protection and national security interests.This follows a rise in fraud cases in recent months, with investigating agencies also stepping up action against celebrities promoting such applications.
