New Delhi: The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025, passed in the Lok Sabha today, proposes a blanket ban on real-money games (RMGs) — defined as any online games, whether skill-based or chance-based, where players deposit money with the expectation of monetary rewards.

The sweeping legislation targets online money games, advertisements, financial transactions, and allied services, posing an existential threat to India’s booming real-money gaming industry. If cleared by the Rajya Sabha and the President, the law could permanently reshape the country’s $3.7 billion online gaming market.

Major Platforms That Will Be Impacted:

  • Dream11 (Fantasy Sports) – Over 100M downloads, 4.5
  • My11Circle (Fantasy Sports) – 50M+ downloads, 4.3
  • Howzat (Fantasy Cricket) – 10M+ downloads, 4.6
  • SG11 Fantasy – 500K+ downloads, 3.6
  • WinZO (Multi-game RMG platform) – 50M+ downloads, 4.1
  • Games24x7 (My11Circle & RummyCircle) – RummyCircle has 50M+ downloads, 4.2
  • Junglee Games (Rummy & Poker) – Rummy: 10M+ downloads; Poker: 1M+ downloads
  • PokerBaazi – 100K+ downloads, 3.7
  • GamesKraft (RummyCulture) – 10M+ downloads, 4.2
  • MyTeam11 – 5M+ downloads, 4.2
  • Nazara Technologies (Investor in PokerBaazi) – Shares fell 7% post-bill

Industry Impact:

  • 86% of India’s gaming revenue comes from real-money gaming.
  • The sector contributes ₹25,000 crore annually in taxes and supports 2 lakh jobs.
  • Over ₹25,000 crore in FDI invested in India’s online gaming ecosystem is at risk.
  • The government may lose ₹20,000 crore in GST revenue annually if the ban comes into force.

Despite strong opposition from industry bodies, the government maintains the ban is essential to curb addiction, protect consumers, and stop illegal betting practices.

The bill now moves to the Rajya Sabha for debate and voting. If cleared and signed by the President, it will become law, enforcing a complete prohibition on real-money gaming in India.