ऑनलाइन गेमिंग को बढ़ावा देने और नियंत्रित करने के लिए सरकार लाई नया कानून ऑनलाइन गेमिंग (प्रमोशन एवं रेग्युलेशन) विधेयक, 2025 संसद में पेश
भारत सरकार ने डिजिटल युग में उभरते खतरों को रोकने और सकारात्मक संभावनाओं को बढ़ावा देने के लिए “प्रमोशन एंड रेग्युलेशन ऑफ ऑनलाइन गेमिंग बिल, 2025” संसद में पेश किया है। यह विधेयक ई-स्पोर्ट्स और सामाजिक-शैक्षणिक गेम्स को प्रोत्साहित करेगा, जबकि ऑनलाइन पैसे वाले गेम्स (जैसे सट्टा, जुआ, फैंटेसी स्पोर्ट्स, पोकर, रमी और ऑनलाइन लॉटरी) पर पूरी तरह प्रतिबंध लगाएगा।
पिछले 11 वर्षों में डिजिटल इंडिया, यूपीआई पेमेंट सिस्टम, 5G कनेक्टिविटी और सेमीकंडक्टर इकोसिस्टम जैसी पहलों ने देश को नई पहचान दी है। प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी के नेतृत्व में तकनीक का लाभ हर क्षेत्र में नागरिकों तक पहुँचा है। लेकिन इसके साथ ही ऑनलाइन गेमिंग से जुड़ी लत, आर्थिक नुकसान, पारिवारिक तनाव और सुरक्षा जोखिम भी सामने आए हैं।
विधेयक की मुख्य प्रावधान
1. ई-स्पोर्ट्स को बढ़ावा
ई-स्पोर्ट्स को खेलों की श्रेणी में आधिकारिक मान्यता।
खेल मंत्रालय प्रशिक्षण अकादमियों, शोध केंद्रों और प्रतियोगिताओं के लिए दिशा-निर्देश बनाएगा।
युवाओं के लिए प्रोत्साहन योजनाएँ और जागरूकता अभियान शुरू होंगे।
2. सामाजिक एवं शैक्षणिक गेम्स को समर्थन
सुरक्षित व आयु-उपयुक्त ऑनलाइन सामाजिक खेलों के लिए मान्यता और पंजीकरण।
शिक्षा, कौशल विकास और भारतीय सांस्कृतिक मूल्यों पर आधारित गेम्स को बढ़ावा।
3. ऑनलाइन मनी गेम्स पर प्रतिबंध
किसी भी रूप में ऑनलाइन पैसे वाले खेलों का संचालन, विज्ञापन या वित्तीय लेन-देन अवैध।
बैंक और भुगतान प्रणालियों को ऐसे लेन-देन रोकने का आदेश।
आईटी अधिनियम, 2000 के तहत गैरकानूनी प्लेटफॉर्म्स को ब्लॉक करने की शक्ति।
4. राष्ट्रीय ऑनलाइन गेमिंग प्राधिकरण का गठन
केंद्र सरकार एक प्राधिकरण स्थापित करेगी जो खेलों का पंजीकरण, श्रेणीकरण और शिकायतों का निपटारा करेगा।
5. सख्त दंड
ऑनलाइन मनी गेम्स उपलब्ध कराने पर 3 साल तक की जेल और/या 1 करोड़ रुपये तक जुर्माना।
विज्ञापन पर 2 साल तक जेल और 50 लाख रुपये तक जुर्माना।
वित्तीय लेन-देन पर 3 साल तक की जेल और/या 1 करोड़ रुपये जुर्माना।
दोहराव पर 5 साल तक की जेल और 2 करोड़ रुपये तक जुर्माना।
6. कंपनी और अधिकारियों की जिम्मेदारी
यदि कंपनियाँ कानून का उल्लंघन करती हैं तो उनके जिम्मेदार अधिकारी भी दंडित होंगे।
7. जांच और प्रवर्तन अधिकार
अधिकारियों को तलाशी, जब्ती और गिरफ्तारी तक के अधिकार दिए गए हैं।
विधेयक के सकारात्मक प्रभाव:
क्रिएटिव इकॉनमी को बढ़ावा: गेम डेवलपमेंट, एक्सपोर्ट और रोजगार के नए अवसर।
युवा सशक्तिकरण: ई-स्पोर्ट्स और स्किल-बेस्ड गेम्स से युवाओं में नई ऊर्जा।
सुरक्षित डिजिटल वातावरण: परिवारों को आर्थिक और मानसिक नुकसान से सुरक्षा।
वैश्विक नेतृत्व: भारत को जिम्मेदार गेमिंग इनोवेशन में अग्रणी बनाने की पहल।
सरकार का मानना है कि यह विधेयक डिजिटल भारत के संतुलित विकास की दिशा में महत्वपूर्ण कदम है। इससे जहां युवाओं के लिए रचनात्मक और सुरक्षित अवसर बनेंगे, वहींसमाज को ऑनलाइन सट्टेबाजी और जुए जैसी हानिकारक गतिविधियों से सुरक्षा मिलेगी।
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025
• Over the past 11 years, digital technologies have brought a major change in our lives.
Digital India, Digital Public Infrastructure, UPI payment system, 5G connectivity,
semiconductor ecosystem, etc. have given a new identity to our country.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s efforts on use of technology in every sector have brought
huge benefits. Simultaneously, new risks have emerged in the society.
• Therefore, it is equally important to ensure that the society is protected from the potential
harms.
• With this thought process, a bill to promote and regulate online gaming has been brought.
• This bill encourages eSports and online social games. It prohibits the harmful online money
gaming service, advertisements for online money games, and financial transactions related
to online money gaming service.
• For promotion of eSports, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will create a framework
for this emerging field.
• For online social game ecosystem, MeitY and MIB will support online games that promote
our social needs and culture.
• For online money gaming, the government believes that the harms of addiction, financial
losses, and in extreme cases suicides by affected persons, can be controlled by prohibiting
online money gaming services, advertising for such services, and financial transactions
related to such services.
• Online money games also pose a threat to our society in that they are sometimes used for
money laundering and activities that compromise national security.
• The bill makes following activities a criminal offences:
o Providing online money gaming services;
o Advertisement of online money gaming; and
o Transfer of funds towards online money gaming services.
• The bill will encourage the positive aspects of technology and aims to protect the society
from harmful impacts of online money games.
—
Government Introduces Promotion and Regulation of
Online Gaming Bill, 2025: Boosting Innovation, Protecting
Citizens
India poised to become global hub of creative & innovative game development: New
Bill to Promote e-sports, Online Social Games and Prohibit Online Money Games
Balanced Growth in Digital India: Online Gaming Bill, 2025 to Encourage Innovation and
Safeguard Society
Protects youth and families from financial, psychological, and social harms
Ensures responsible use of technology, strengthens consumer protection and national
security
Over the past 11 years, digital technologies have brought a major change in our lives. Digital India,
Digital Public Infrastructure, UPI payment system, 5G connectivity, and the semiconductor
ecosystem have together given a new identity to our country.
Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the use of technology
across sectors has delivered immense benefits to citizens. At the same time, new risks have
emerged, especially in the digital space.
It is therefore equally important to ensure that society is protected from potential harms of
technology misuse. With this thought process, the Government has brought forward the Promotion
and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.
This Bill encourages e-sports and online social games while prohibiting harmful online money
gaming services, advertisements, and financial transactions related to them. Bill also outlaws all
online Betting and Gambling (Satta and Jua) activities – from Online Fantasy Sports to Online
Gambling (like Poker, Rummy and other Card games) and Online Lotteries. This is to protect our
youth from predatory online Real Money Gaming apps – that manipulate them through misleading
‘monetary return promises’ into compulsive and addictive playing, that leaves entire families in
financial distress.
The Government believes that the harms of addiction, financial losses, and even extreme
consequences such as suicides associated with online money gaming can be prevented by
prohibition of such activities. Additionally, online money gaming platforms are often misused for
financial fraud, money laundering, terror financing and messaging activities that compromise
national security.
Furthermore, this aligns the national laws for the digital domain with the existing laws for
corresponding activities in the physical world, wherein betting and gambling are restricted or
punishable – such as in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 as well as various State government
legislations.
For the promotion of e-sports, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports will establish a dedicated
framework. For online social games, the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) and the Ministry
of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) will extend support to online games that foster educational
& cultural values, skill development and social engagement.
Thus, the Bill seeks to encourage the positive aspects of technology while protecting society from
the adverse impacts of online money games.
Key Provisions of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025
1. Promotion and Recognition of e-Sports
o e-sports recognised as a legitimate form of competitive sport in India.
o Ministry of Sports to frame guidelines and standards for conduct of e-sports events.
o Establishment of training academies, research centres, and technology
platforms for advancement of e-sports.
o Incentive schemes, awareness campaigns and integration of e-sports into broader
sports policy initiatives.
2. Promotion of Social and Educational Games
o Central Government empowered to recognise, categorise, and register online
social games.
o Facilitation of platforms for development and distribution of safe, age-appropriate
social and educational games.
o Awareness programmes on the positive role of social games in recreation, skilldevelopment
and digital literacy.
o Support for cultural and educational gaming content aligned with Indian values.
3. Prohibition of Harmful Online Money Games
o Complete ban on offering, operating, or facilitating online money games,
irrespective of whether based on skill, chance, or both.
o Ban on advertising and promotion of money games across all forms of media.
o Ban on financial transactions linked to online money games; banks and payment
systems barred from processing such payments.
o Empowerment to block access to unlawful gaming platforms under the
Information Technology Act, 2000.
4. Establishment of an Online Gaming Authority
o Central Government to establish a national-level Authority or designate any
existing Authority or Authorities or any agency for oversight.
o Functions include:
§ Categorisation and registration of online games.
§ Determination of whether a game qualifies as a money game.
§ Handling complaints and grievances related to online games.
o Authority to issue guidelines, orders, and codes of practice to ensure compliance.
5. Offences and Penalties
o Offering or facilitating online money gaming: Imprisonment up to 3 years and/or
fine up to ₹1 crore.
o Advertising money games: Imprisonment up to 2 years and/or fine up to ₹50
lakh.
o Financial transactions related to money games: Imprisonment up to 3 years
and/or fine up to ₹1 crore.
o Repeat offences attract enhanced penalties, including imprisonment of 3–5 years
and fines up to ₹2 crore.
o Offences under key sections to be cognizable and non-bailable.
6. Corporate and Institutional Liability
o Companies and their officers held liable for offences under the Act, unless they
prove due diligence.
o Independent directors or non-executive directors not involved in decision-making
are protected.
7. Powers of Investigation and Enforcement
o Central Government may authorise officers to investigate, search, and seize
digital or physical property linked to offences.
o Officers empowered to enter, search, and arrest without warrant in certain cases
of suspected offences.
o Provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 apply to
investigations under the Act.
8. Rule-Making Powers and Delegated Legislation
o Central Government empowered to make rules for:
§ Promotion of e-sports and social gaming.
§ Recognition, Categorisation and registration of online games.
§ Powers and functioning of the Authority.
§ any other matter required or permitted to be prescribed under this Act.
Positive Impacts of the Bill
• Boost to Creative Economy: Enhances India’s role in global gaming exports, employment
and innovation.
• Empowering Youth: Encourages constructive participation through e-sports and skillbased
digital games.
• Safe Digital Environment: Protects families from predatory online money gaming
practices.
• Global Leadership: Positions India as a leader in responsible gaming innovation and
digital policy-making.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 strikes a balanced path—encouraging
innovation and youth engagement through safe and positive online gaming, while firmly
prohibiting harmful online money games.
It reflects the Government’s commitment to a safe, secure, and innovation-driven Digital India
that boosts creativity, safeguards citizens, and strengthens national security.
