Online Gaming Bill gets President Droupadi Murmu’s assent, now becomes law

President Droupadi Murmu, on Friday, i.e., August 22, gave her assent to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The bill, passed in the Parliament earlier this week, was brought in to encourage e-sports and online social games while prohibiting harmful online money gaming services or financial transactions.

The Bill seeks to completely ban offering, operating, or facilitating online money games, irrespective of whether based on skill, chance, or both. The Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Wednesday and in Rajya Sabha a day after. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, aims to promote e-sports and online social games, while outlawing online money gaming. There will be no punishment for those playing online money games; it is only the service providers, advertisers, promoters, and those who financially support such games who will face the consequences, said sources earlier.

Through this legislation, the government aims to promote e-sports and give them legal recognition. This bill will help provide legal support to e-sports. Earlier, there was no legal backing for e-sports, sources said.For the promotion of e-sports, which has been recognised as a legitimate form of competitive sport in India, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will establish a dedicated framework. The government will also promote online social games.