In a landmark move, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, a transformative piece of legislation introduced by the Modi government to tackle the escalating challenges posed by the unregulated online gaming sector. Spearheaded by Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, this bill champions the promotion of e-sports and socially beneficial games while decisively curbing real-money gaming platforms that have become a scourge for India’s youth.

India’s online gaming industry has exploded over the past decade, driven by affordable internet, widespread smartphone access, and the rise of fintech. With over 50 crore gamers by 2024, India stands as the world’s largest gaming market by volume. While e-sports and casual gaming have flourished, real-money gaming platforms—encompassing fantasy cricket, poker, rummy, and lotteries—have gained alarming traction, often with devastating consequences.

These platforms, where users wager money in hopes of quick returns, have emerged as a significant societal concern, particularly for the youth, who form the backbone of India’s gaming demographic. The financial and social toll of real-money gaming is profound. These platforms, often operating from offshore jurisdictions, employ manipulative algorithms and addictive designs to lure players with promises of wealth.

Young individuals, particularly in semi-urban and rural areas, have fallen prey to compulsive gaming, leading to debt traps, pawned family assets, and even suicides. Reports indicate over 2,000 suicides annually linked to gaming-related financial distress, underscoring the crisis’s severity. Beyond personal ruin, these platforms have facilitated financial fraud, with over Rs 4,000 crore in betting scams reported in........

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