Real cash gaming ban Bill passes Rajya Sabha

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, handed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (August 21 2025), clearing the Union Cabinet and each Houses of Parliament inside 72 hours, as the federal government strikes to shortly ban actual cash video games (RMGs). The legislation is now headed to President Droupadi Murmu’s desk for her signature, after which it is going to turn into an Act.

“It is the accountability of the federal government and Parliament to take strict motion towards malpractices in society, like chit funds,” Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw mentioned within the Upper House of Parliament, urging MPs throughout celebration traces to help the legislation. “Problems [due to online money games] have led to a number of households being destroyed.”

The Bill was handed within the Upper House clause-by-clause, at the same time as Opposition legislators loudly chanted slogans on allegations of “vote theft,” and two MPs, CPI(M)’s John Brittas and V. Sivadasan, moved proposals purportedly to amend the Bill or amend sure clauses, however took the ground to repeat the allegations. Deputy chairman Harivansh mentioned these remarks wouldn’t be taken on document.

Once it turns into an Act, the legislation would ban companies like Dream11 and MPL from taking person deposits for video games the place gamers may lose that cash.

Quick enforcement

Mr. Vaishnaw mentioned that the legislation wouldn’t be topic to the extended timelines of the opposite key legal guidelines labored on by the IT Ministry, specifically the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — the principles aren’t but notified for this legislation, that means it isn’t in drive but — and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

Those rules had been labored out with months of consultations with the trade and different stakeholders. But these had been rules, and it is a prohibition. “With a prohibition, you may’t do consultations,” Mr. Vaishnaw mentioned. “This Bill shall be enforced as quickly as potential.”

The Bill upends the whole RMG trade, known as “on-line cash video games” in its textual content. The trade has but to remark publicly, however has appealed in a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah for reprieve from the ban.

A “brief” notification can be issued shortly after the Bill’s enactment, Mr. Vaishnaw mentioned, bringing it into drive instantly. The Ministries of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, would take steps to advertise e-sports, the federal government mentioned in an announcement.