Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025
Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 brought a sweeping ban on all real-money online games in India, including poker and rummy. By treating every money-based game as “gambling,” the law erased a long-standing distinction recognized by Indian courts between games of skill and games of chance . What makes the law even more controversial is how it was passed : The draft Bill was published only a day before its introduction in Parliament, leaving no meaningful opportunity for public debate or objections. The Bill was then introduced in the Lok Sabha and passed within seven minutes , and cleared by the Rajya Sabha the very next day. This rushed process undermined transparency and denied stakeholders — including citizens, gamers, and industry representatives — their rightful chance to be heard. This hasty passage raises serious questions about democratic lawmaking, especially when it impacts a $23 billion industry an...