Online Gaming Bill Finalised After Over Three Years Of Deliberation, Say Govt Sources

After over three years of deliberation, the Centre has finalised the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, government sources told NDTV Profit on Wednesday.

The Bill, which was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, was deliberated upon for three-and-a-half years during which various models—including a self-regulatory framework—were considered but ultimately discarded due to conflicts of interest, the persons privy the development said.

The sources also indicated that the legislation will withstand scrutiny by the Supreme Court.

The Bill also proposes the creation of a new authority, modeled more on a promotional body like the National Highways Authority of India, rather than a traditional regulator, to support the growth of e-sports and socially beneficial gaming platforms.

The new legislation aims to strike a balance between innovation and public safety, by promoting two-thirds of the online gaming sector—namely e-sports and social games, while discouraging the remaining one-third, which includes real-money games linked to addiction and financial distress.

The sources also indicated that those who play money games are victims and not perpetrators, and hence they won’t be punished via this legislation.