The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, passed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (August 21 2025), clearing the Union Cabinet and both Houses of Parliament within 72 hours, as the government moves to quickly ban real money games (RMGs). The law is now headed to President Droupadi Murmu’s desk for her signature, after which it will become an Act. The move could render firms like Dream11, MPL and PokerBaazi’s main revenue-generating activity — pay-to-play stakes-based gaming — crushed overnight.

“It is the responsibility of the government and Parliament to take strict action against malpractices in society, like chit funds,” Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said in the Upper House of Parliament, urging MPs across party lines to support the law. “Problems [due to online money games] have led to several families being destroyed.”

The Bill was passed in the Upper House clause-by-clause, even as Opposition legislators loudly chanted slogans on allegations of “vote theft,” and two MPs, CPI(M)’s John Brittas and V. Sivadasan, moved proposals purportedly to amend the Bill or amend certain clauses, but took the floor to repeat the allegations. Deputy chairman Harivansh said these remarks wouldn’t be taken on record.

Quick enforcement

Mr. Vaishnaw said that the law would not be subject to the prolonged timelines of the other key laws worked on by the IT Ministry, namely the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — the rules are not yet notified for this law, meaning it is not in force yet — and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

Those regulations were worked out with months of consultations with the industry and other stakeholders. But those were regulations, and this is a prohibition. “With a prohibition, you can’t do consultations,” Mr. Vaishnaw said. “This Bill will be enforced as soon as possible.”

The Bill upends the entire RMG industry, referred to as “online money games” in its text. The industry has yet to comment publicly, but has appealed in a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah for reprieve from the ban. Probo, an “opinon trading” firm permitting wagers on outcomes of a variety of events, decried the Bill as “unfortunate,” and announced that it would suspend its real money gaming product.

A “short” notification would be issued shortly after the Bill’s enactment, Mr. Vaishnaw said, bringing it into force immediately. The Ministries of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting would take steps to promote e-sports, the government said in a statement.

Nazara Technologies Ltd., which has invested US$122 million (over ₹800 crore) in PokerBaazi, saw its shares dip 2% on Thursday (August 21) and has fallen about 15% since the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha. “Nazara has no direct exposure to real money gaming (RMG) businesses,” the firm said in a filing with bourses. 

“The Company’s only indirect exposure to RMG is through its 46.07% stake in Moonshine Technologies Private Limited (PokerBaazi). As Nazara does not hold a majority stake or exercise control, Moonshine’s revenue is not consolidated in the Company’s financial statements and has no impact on the Company’s reported Revenue or EBITDA.”

Delta Corp Ltd, a casino and gaming firm which has owned poker platform Adda52, also recorded a dip of 3.14% on Thursday.