The Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, presented the promotion and organization of the online games bill, 2025, in Lok sabha today. The draft law has sparked controversy, as the protests that are launched while submitted. Lok Sabha was temporarily postponed after the introduction of the bill, which seeks to impose strict regulations on the online game industry, with a special focus on activities involved in cash transactions.
The main focus
The basic focus of the proposed legislation is to cancel online games that include a financial component. The government argues that such games lead to serious issues, including addiction and financial losses, which in extreme cases led to suicide cases among young people. The draft law aims to address these concerns by developing a comprehensive ban on real money games and relevant activities. In addition, it seeks to protect weak groups, especially children and youth, from the harmful effects of these games.
The game industry in India has seen rapid growth in recent years, attracting more than $ 2.78 billion of investment and hundreds of millions of users, while raising concerns about addiction, financial losses and debt courses that are not proportional to low -income communities.
Main features
Electronic sports
The main provisions of the draft law include the official recognition of electronic sports as a competitive sport and the establishment of training academies and technology platforms under the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs. This step is part of a broader strategy to integrate electronic sports into national sports policy, as it provides more organized support for digital games as a legitimate sports activity. By doing this, the government hopes to take care of talent and create opportunities for players in a fast -sized digital scene.
Educational games
Moreover, the draft law enables the central government to classify and record games that are safe and suitable for different age groups. It supports the development of educational, cultural and skill games, focusing on the role of games in promoting digital literacy. The government plans to launch awareness campaigns to highlight the positive aspects of games while curbing harmful practices. These initiatives aim to enhance the culture of balanced and healthy games throughout the country.
Crime and penalties
> Providing or facilitating money games online: A prison is punished for up to 3 years and/or a fine of up to 1 rupees.
> Advertising Money Games: It is punishable by imprisonment for up to two years and/or a fine of up to 50 dollars.
> Financial transactions associated with financial games: It is punishable by imprisonment for up to 3 years and a fine of up to 1 rupee.
> Repeated crimes: taking into account the reinforced penalties, including 3-5 years prison and fines of up to 2 rupees.
National Games Authority
One of the important features of the draft law is to create a national games body, charged with overseeing the classification, registration and monitoring of the online games. This body will also have the authority to issue instructions, complaints and ensure compliance with new regulations. Violating platforms may face severe penalties, including prohibiting them under the provisions of the IT law, 2000.
Security concerns
The government emphasized that the draft law addresses the broader security concerns related to money laundering, fraud and potential terrorist financing through unorganized games platforms. Through compatibility with the current laws, such as bharatiya nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the draft law extends from the prohibition from the material field to the digital field.
Games online
The online game industry has warned that the proposed comprehensive ban may lead to huge losses in jobs and closing the company. In a joint message to the Minister of Interior Amit Shah, the All India Gaming (AIGF), the Electronic Games Union (EGF), and the FIFS Sports Federation (FIFS) claimed that the draft law could “destroy more than 2 jobs for Cham, a 400 -companies, and a underlined creative India.”
They warned that legitimate platforms may be forced to close, pushing users towards the illegal Matka networks, gambling sites abroad, and unorganized operators. The message confirmed that the rapidly growing sector-which was evaluated at 2 crushers of Rs Cham, has achieved 31,000 rupees of revenue and 20,000 rupees in taxes-expanded by 20 % in the center of a nominated age, with an increase in the Indian Games base from 36 crores in 2020 to 50 rupees in 2024.
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