The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, aimed at banning all forms of online money games, despite loud protests and disruptions by the Opposition. The legislation was cleared through a voice vote, with the House rejecting amendments proposed by several Opposition members.
Deputy Chairman Harivansh announced the passage of the bill and briefly adjourned the House for ten minutes following the approval.
The legislation had already received the nod from the Lok Sabha a day earlier, marking the Bill’s complete passage through Parliament. It now paves the way for stricter regulation and penalties on the operation, promotion, and facilitation of online gaming involving real money.
The Bill, put forth by Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, seeks to prohibit all forms of online betting and gambling, including fantasy sports platforms, online poker, rummy, and card games, as well as online lotteries.
It defines an online money game as any game in which the player deposits money with the expectation of winning monetary or material rewards. The Bill also bars advertisements of such games, and prohibits banks and financial institutions from facilitating transactions related to online money gaming platforms.
Under the provisions, individuals or companies found guilty of operating or facilitating online money games could face up to three years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of ₹1 crore. Advertising such games may attract a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment and/or ₹50 lakh fine, while repeat offenders could be subjected to stricter punishments, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines reaching ₹2 crore. Many of the offences have been designated as cognisable and non-bailable.
During the debate, Vaishnaw defended the Bill, saying the government had been working on the matter for over three years in consultation with industry stakeholders. “Our purpose with this Bill has been to promote and encourage the good parts of online gaming while preventing the harm. This effort has involved deep industry engagement,” said Vaishnaw.
He also equated the addiction to money gaming with substance abuse. “The money-gaming addiction is like drug addiction. People lose their life’s savings in online money gaming,” Vaishnaw told the House.
The Union minister also warned that many gaming platforms have been misused for money laundering, terror financing, and communication by terrorist groups. “The powerful people behind these games will challenge the decision in courts and run social media campaigns against this ban,” he remarked in the Rajya Sabha.
The passing of the Bill drew strong criticism from Opposition parties, who accused the government of pushing it through without a proper discussion. Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, raised concerns over the lack of debate in the House. At the same time, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju countered by questioning the feasibility of holding a discussion amid ongoing protests and disruptions from Opposition benches.
Apart from this legislation, the Opposition was also pressing for a debate on the special revision of electoral rolls in Bihar being undertaken by the Election Commission.
