In recent years, online paid gaming has quietly grown into a massive social and economic problem. Behind the flashy apps and advertisements lies a troubling reality – millions of young Indians are now trapped in gaming addiction, families are facing severe financial stress, and the nation’s digital ecosystem is being exploited by fraudsters and even extremist groups.

In the first four months of 2025-2026 alone, UPI payments for digital games averaged Rs 10,000 crore per month. Between April and July, payments for online games reached Rs 40,992 crore – about 1.5 percent of all person-to-merchant UPI transactions.

Overall, India’s online gaming market is already........

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