Latest news with #PromotionandRegulationofOnlineGamingBill
News18
an hour ago
- Politics
- News18
12000 trains to be operated during Diwali, Chhath in Bihar: Ashwini Vaishnaw
New Delhi [India], August 20 (ANI): Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday announced that 12,000 trains will be operated for Bihar on the occasion of Diwali and Chhath festivals. This announcement comes after he held discussions with the Bihar NDA leaders. Four Amrit Bharat trains will be launched to connect Delhi and Gaya, Saharsa to Amritsar, Chhapra to Delhi and Muzaffarpur to Hyderabad, the railway minister said, adding that a Vande Bharat train will be started between Purnia and Patna. 'It was decided that 12,000 special trains will be run for the upcoming Diwali and Chhath festivals. 12,000 special trains so that passengers do not face any kind of inconvenience on these two big festivals… Those who will travel between 13th and 26th October and return between 17th November and 1st December will be given confirmed tickets, and a 20% discount will be given on the return journey. This experiment is also being done during this festival season," Vaishnaw a post on X, Vaishnaw said that a special Buddha Circuit Train will be launched from Vaishali to Koderma, connecting key heritage destinations related to Lord today, Vaishnaw said that the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha, is a significant bill aimed at regulating online gaming, recognising its growing importance in the digital sector. 'The bill identifies three segments within online gaming," the minister told reporters after the passage of the Bill in the Lok Minister said that E-sports are rapidly gaining prominence and will receive legal recognition. Online social games, which are played without monetary stakes are also to be promoted for family and friendly interaction.'Online money games, which have become a major societal concern due to addiction and financial losses, leading to extreme cases, including suicides," the minister said. The World Health Organization has classified this as a public health issue termed 'online gaming disorder", the minister said. (ANI) view comments First Published: August 20, 2025, 23:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Business
- Economic Times
ETtech Explainer: What's the way forward for gaming industry after Lok Sabha clears Online Gaming Bill?
ETtech The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, seeking a blanket ban on real money gaming in India, minutes after it was introduced in the House. The government says this move addresses the risks of fraud, money laundering, and terror financing and encourages the growth of e-sports and skill-based online games in the country. However, industry stakeholders warn that the outright prohibition could backfire – pushing users to illegal offshore gambling and unregulated platforms. ETtech explains the details of the bill and what happens next. First, what are online money games? According to the bill, online money games are those played by the user by 'paying fees, depositing money, or other stakes, in expectation of winning in return for money or other stake, irrespective of whether such game is based on skill, chance, or both.' These include popular games such as Poker, RummyCircle, Junglee Rummy, WinZO Ludo, BigCash, Zupee, and Money Clicker, where players put in money with the expectation of cash rewards. In contrast, skill-based games such as chess, card games played without stakes, arcade games, puzzles, and even poker in a non-monetary context are seen as tests of ability and strategy rather than betting and continue to be encouraged under the bill. Meanwhile, it excludes e-sports and online social games in both casual entertainment and skill-based formats, which do not involve any monetary stakes. What does the bill say? According to the draft bill, which was cleared in the Lok Sabha today, there will be a complete ban on online money games falling under its definition. As a result: Anyone offering these services will face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to Rs 1 crore, or both. Anyone advertising such services could face up to two years of jail and/or a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh. Banks and financial institutions facilitating transactions for such games will also face penalties, including up to three years in jail or a fine of Rs 1 crore. What happens to the companies? The representatives of the Rs 27,438 crore online money gaming sector fear the prospect of being shut down. Companies such as Dream11, MPL, Games24x7, Winzo, Zupee, and publicly listed Nazara Technologies, which has stakes in Classic Rummy and PokerBaazi, could be among those hit by the legal experts noted that there will be no immediate effect. 'There will be no immediate effect, as the bill has only just been passed in the Lok Sabha. It will next move to the Rajya Sabha for discussion and then to the President for assent, so it will take some time before it becomes an Act,' Apeksha Singh, a commercial lawyer at the Bombay High Court, told ET. Also Read: Gaming bodies write to Amit Shah; urge to block blanket ban, warn of Rs 20,000 crore tax loss What about the online money gaming ecosystem?The online gaming sector currently employs more than 200,000 professionals across over 400 startups and has drawn Rs 25,000 crore in foreign direct investment (FDI).Industry leaders warn that this bill will choke foreign investment and cost the exchequer an estimated Rs 20,000 crore in lost taxes. An allied ecosystem that spends nearly Rs 6,000 crore annually on advertising, technology, and infrastructure could also take a to the bill getting passed in Lok Sabha, the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), the E-Gaming Federation (EGF), and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) wrote a joint letter to home minister Amit Shah, saying the draft bill, which seeks to prohibit all real money games, including those based on skill, would 'strike a death knell' for the entire industry. So, why is the government pushing for this bill? After the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that online money gaming has become a bigger issue than drugs in the country, and many youngsters have died by suicide after losing their savings in such an interview with ET Now, Vaishnaw said that there are three segments to the bill — e-sports, online social gaming, and online money gaming. 'This bill aims to promote the first two segments, wherein an authority will be created. There will be more schemes, employment, and the creator economy grows,' he said, adding that the bill will protect from the harm that the third segment – online money gaming – causes. What are the stakeholders saying? According to the stakeholders, the outright prohibition could backfire, pushing users to illegal offshore gambling and unregulated platforms.'A restriction will push millions of Indian users toward offshore betting websites, matka operators, and unregulated platforms, exposing them to fraud, addiction risks, and zero consumer protection,' said Rameesh Kailasam, president and CEO of an industry group representing internet startups. 'The bill seems aimed at offshore gambling and betting apps but ends up targeting law-abiding, tax-paying Indian startups.''While the government is pursuing a comprehensive ban on online gaming, its enforcement poses significant challenges,' said Rishi Agrawal, chief executive and cofounder of Teamlease Regtech, a regulatory compliance management company. 'The internet's global accessibility makes it likely that new gaming platforms will emerge worldwide, targeting vulnerable Indian youth and heightening risks such as cyberbullying, identity theft, phishing, and other scams.'Further, industry representatives are urging the government to pursue 'smart regulation' that distinguishes games of skill from games of chance, ensures user safety and responsible gaming, enforces grievance redressal, and clarifies taxation policies. Also Read: Online gaming companies prepare for legal battle against new bill Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Swiggy, Tencent backer Prosus gets Rajinikanth fan to script India AI play India's F&O boom puts spotlight on retail protection through education Can new shipping laws bury the ghost of British legacy? 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Time of India
an hour ago
- Business
- Time of India
ETtech Explainer: What's the way forward for gaming industry after Lok Sabha clears Online Gaming Bill?
Anyone offering these services will face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to Rs 1 crore, or both. Anyone advertising such services could face up to two years of jail and/or a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh. Banks and financial institutions facilitating transactions for such games will also face penalties, including up to three years in jail or a fine of Rs 1 crore. The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill , 2025, seeking a blanket ban on real money gaming in India, minutes after it was introduced in the government says this move addresses the risks of fraud , money laundering, and terror financing and encourages the growth of e-sports and skill-based online games in the country. However, industry stakeholders warn that the outright prohibition could backfire – pushing users to illegal offshore gambling and unregulated explains the details of the bill and what happens to the bill, online money games are those played by the user by 'paying fees, depositing money, or other stakes, in expectation of winning in return for money or other stake, irrespective of whether such game is based on skill, chance, or both.'These include popular games such as Poker, RummyCircle , Junglee Rummy, WinZO Ludo, BigCash, Zupee, and Money Clicker, where players put in money with the expectation of cash rewards. In contrast, skill-based games such as chess, card games played without stakes, arcade games, puzzles, and even poker in a non-monetary context are seen as tests of ability and strategy rather than betting and continue to be encouraged under the it excludes e-sports and online social games in both casual entertainment and skill-based formats, which do not involve any monetary to the draft bill, which was cleared in the Lok Sabha today, there will be a complete ban on online money games falling under its definition. As a result:The representatives of the Rs 27,438 crore online money gaming sector fear the prospect of being shut down . Companies such as Dream11, MPL, Games24x7, Winzo, Zupee, and publicly listed Nazara Technologies, which has stakes in Classic Rummy and PokerBaazi, could be among those hit by the legal experts noted that there will be no immediate effect.'There will be no immediate effect, as the bill has only just been passed in the Lok Sabha. It will next move to the Rajya Sabha for discussion and then to the President for assent, so it will take some time before it becomes an Act,' Apeksha Singh, a commercial lawyer at the Bombay High Court, told online gaming sector currently employs more than 200,000 professionals across over 400 startups and has drawn Rs 25,000 crore in foreign direct investment (FDI).Industry leaders warn that this bill will choke foreign investment and cost the exchequer an estimated Rs 20,000 crore in lost taxes. An allied ecosystem that spends nearly Rs 6,000 crore annually on advertising, technology, and infrastructure could also take a to the bill getting passed in Lok Sabha, the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), the E-Gaming Federation (EGF), and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) wrote a joint letter to home minister Amit Shah, saying the draft bill, which seeks to prohibit all real money games, including those based on skill, would 'strike a death knell' for the entire the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that online money gaming has become a bigger issue than drugs in the country, and many youngsters have died by suicide after losing their savings in such an interview with ET Now, Vaishnaw said that there are three segments to the bill — e-sports, online social gaming, and online money gaming.'This bill aims to promote the first two segments, wherein an authority will be created. There will be more schemes, employment, and the creator economy grows,' he said, adding that the bill will protect from the harm that the third segment – online money gaming – to the stakeholders, the outright prohibition could backfire, pushing users to illegal offshore gambling and unregulated platforms.'A restriction will push millions of Indian users toward offshore betting websites, matka operators, and unregulated platforms, exposing them to fraud, addiction risks, and zero consumer protection,' said Rameesh Kailasam, president and CEO of an industry group representing internet startups. 'The bill seems aimed at offshore gambling and betting apps but ends up targeting law-abiding, tax-paying Indian startups.''While the government is pursuing a comprehensive ban on online gaming, its enforcement poses significant challenges,' said Rishi Agrawal, chief executive and cofounder of Teamlease Regtech, a regulatory compliance management company. 'The internet's global accessibility makes it likely that new gaming platforms will emerge worldwide, targeting vulnerable Indian youth and heightening risks such as cyberbullying, identity theft, phishing, and other scams.'Further, industry representatives are urging the government to pursue 'smart regulation' that distinguishes games of skill from games of chance, ensures user safety and responsible gaming, enforces grievance redressal, and clarifies taxation policies.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
RMG firms quietly assess Bill banning their industry; video game firms welcome move
Real money gaming (RMG) firms struck a cautious tone in responding to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (August 20, 2025). The Bill prohibits any sort of online game that accepts money from users in exchange for a chance to win a return on the money, or risk losing what they put in. The E-Gaming Federation (EGF), which represents Games24x7 and RummyCircle, two RMG platforms, said that the Bill was a 'distinct opportunity to establish a framework that safeguards players while promoting responsible growth in a sunrise sector.' It added, 'Thoughtful regulation can amplify the positive impact while ensuring responsible and fair practices remain at the core.' The Bill would force these firms to stop offering pay-to-play games. Commissions on these games are a principal revenue stream for RMG firms. 'Death knell' In a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, the firms underlined their anxieties more explicitly. 'Such a blanket prohibition would strike a death knell for this legitimate, job-creating industry, and would cause serious harm to Indian users and citizens,' the EGF said, along with the All India Gaming Federation and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports. 'Fly-by-night' offshore firms would proliferate, investor sentiment would be dampened, and two lakh people would lose their jobs, the letter argued. Video gaming is distinct category Video game companies, which have complained in the past about their industries being conflated with the RMG industry under the umbrella 'gaming' label, welcomed the Bill. 'For the last two years, the singular demand of the Indian video games industry has been recognition and categorisation as a distinct industry-business, not clubbed with online money games,' Harish Chengaiah, CEO of Chennai-based Outlier Games said. 'With the proposed Bill, that demand has finally been met, and we thank the Government of India for it.' The Bill may find takers across the political spectrum, but few voices of support emerged from the Opposition, amid the standoff on the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and allegations of 'vote theft' by the INDIA coalition. However, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge and Congress MP Karti Chidambaram have both expressed concerns that an outright prohibition may not fix the problem and instead promote offshore gambling operators' attempts to make inroads among Indian users.
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Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Lok Sabha passes bill to promote e-sports, social games, completely ban RMG
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which bans all forms of real-money gaming (RMG) and their advertisements in India. The Bill proposes jail terms of up to three years and fines of up to ₹1 crore for anyone offering RMG in the country and prohibits banks from working with companies providing such services. Cleared by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday, the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day. Senior officials described it as a balanced measure, defending the government's decision to outlaw RMG. Union Electronics and Information Technology (IT) Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Bill seeks to encourage e-sports and social games while curbing real-money games to address rising addiction, especially among children and youth. 'If there is a choice between addressing a problem that affects society at large and supporting an industry, the government will always address the larger societal issue. These games have caused heavy financial losses and instances of fraud. It was imperative for the government to act in the greater interest of society,' Vaishnaw said after the Bill's passage. The Bill, passed by the Lower House of Parliament, proposes that anyone who engages in or authorises funding for RMG will face up to three years' imprisonment, a fine of up to ₹1 crore, or both. Repeat offenders may face up to five years in jail and a fine of ₹2 crore. Beyond the ban, the Bill proposes setting up an authority to promote e-sports and social games by issuing guidelines and standards. It also calls for training academies, research centres, and institutions 'dedicated to the advancement of e-sports'. 'E-sports will get legal recognition through this Bill. This will help players and organisations competing globally to receive government-backed recognition,' Vaishnaw added. Concerns raised by industry associations over potential job losses, estimated at 200,000, are 'inflated' and will need independent verification, a senior IT ministry official said. 'It's not as if companies hired all these people solely to make real-money games. Of the three segments — e-sports, social gaming, and RMG — only the last has been banned. The Bill also supports the growth of the other two with budgets, authorities, and government backing as and when needed,' the official said, adding that the move brings much-needed clarity for the industry. Another official said the government's support for e-sports could open new opportunities for software engineers and gaming firms. On Tuesday, after the Cabinet cleared the Bill, three gaming associations — the All India Gaming Federation, the E-Gaming Federation, and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports — wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah, warning that 'a blanket prohibition would strike a death knell for this legitimate, job-creating industry and cause serious harm to Indian users'. The letter also argued that the domestic gaming sector, which generates ₹31,000 crore annually and pays nearly ₹20,000 crore in taxes, would lose appeal for global investors. But IT ministry officials said all ministries agreed on the measure, and that the potential revenue loss was outweighed by societal concerns. 'Around 450 million gamers lose money annually in online RMG. Nearly ₹20,000 crore is lost due to skewed algorithms, misleading advertisements, or fraud,' one official said.
