The Centre has blocked 300 websites, apps related to betting sites, exchanges, and online casinos, sources told NDTV Profit on Friday. This brings the total of such blocked websites to 8,400.
The latest crackdown includes platforms linked to satta and matka networks, as well as real-money card and casino gaming apps, which have come under increased scrutiny. Approximately 4,900 of these 8,400 websites have been blocked after passage of Online Gaming Act.
The move is part of a broader effort to curb illegal online gambling activities, to plug any financial leakages and strengthen oversight over digital gaming platforms operating in India.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, passed on August 22, 2025, effective October 1—bans exploitative RMG while nurturing e-sports and social games.
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Key Highlights Of PROG Act, 2025
This uniform framework, backed by MeitY's Draft Rules under Section 19, prohibits RMG any game with stakes or monetary returns, skill- or chance-based targeting operators, advertisers and facilitators, even offshore. From 2022 to June 2025, 1,524 blocking orders under IT Act Section 69A curbed betting apps. Violations invoke Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita penalties: up to seven years' imprisonment for unauthorized gambling (Section 112) and economic offenses (Section 111).
The Online Gaming Authority of India, a digital entity with civil court powers, determines RMG status, registers legitimate games (e-sports via National Sports Governance Act prerequisite; social games voluntary), maintains a national registry, and enforces via inquiries. Certificates last 5 years, revocable for "material changes" like monetization shifts.
Penalties are severe: three years' jail and Rs 1 crore fine for offering RMG; two years and Rs 50 lakh for advertising; repeat offenses mandate three-five years and up to Rs 2 crore. Cognizable, non-bailable offenses consider user harm and gains. A 180-day transitional window allows fund repayments.
Grievance redressal is tiered: provider-level, then Grievance Appellate Committee (IT Rules 2021), culminating at the Authority, empowered to block and penalize. This integrates Consumer Protection Act bans on misleading ads via CCPA advisories, MIB warnings against surrogate promotions (e.g., 2022–2024), and cybercrime reporting via 1930 helpline.
Promotion emphasizes e-sports (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports guidelines for tournaments, academies) and social games (MIB categorization for education, skills, age-appropriateness), fostering innovation in safe segments.
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