Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday introduced the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha, amid protests from the Opposition.
The Bill aims to promote and regulate the online gaming sector, including e-sports, educational, and social gaming, while prohibiting online money games that involve betting or wagering across state or foreign jurisdictions.
It provides for the establishment of a national authority to ensure coordinated policy support, strategic development, and regulatory oversight of the sector. The legislation also seeks to safeguard youth and vulnerable populations from the social, economic, and psychological harms of unregulated gaming, ensure responsible use of digital technologies, and protect financial integrity, public order, and national security.
Vaishnaw said the Bill reflects the government’s broader vision of an “open, safe, trusted, and accountable internet.” He highlighted that taxation measures are already in place for the sector, including a 30 per cent income tax on net winnings from online games (effective from FY 2024-25) and a 28 per cent GST on online gaming introduced from October 2023.
Suppliers of offshore gaming platforms are also mandated to register under the Integrated GST Act, 2017, ensuring greater compliance and oversight.
