India plans to ban online games played with money, citing addiction risks

20/8/2025 7:13

India's government plans to ban online games played with money, a proposed bill showed on Tuesday, in what would be a heavy blow for an industry that has

attracted billions of dollars of foreign investment.



Citing psychological and financial harm it says can be caused by such games, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 says that no person "shall offer, aid, abet, induce or otherwise indulge or engage in" the offering of online money games and such services.



The 13-page bill, which has not yet been made public but has been reviewed by Reuters, describes an online money game as one played by a user by depositing money in expectation of winning monetary and other enrichment.



The Indian market for such gaming is set to be worth $3.6 billion by 2029, venture capital firm Lumikai says.