The Indian government on Tuesday introduced and passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha, marking a watershed moment for the country’s gaming ecosystem.
The legislation seeks to regulate, promote, and prohibit different aspects of online gaming – most notably placing a ban on real-money gaming platforms.
Reacting to the move, People Group and Shaadi.com founder & CEO Anupam Mittal voiced his concerns on the move, likening the decision to misplaced moral policing.
“We banned gutka but have people stopped chewing? India also just banned real-money gaming. In one shot, we killed a sector that pumped in Rs 27,000 crore of GST annually, drove Rs 10,000 crore+ of ad revenue, and gave thousands a legit livelihood in games of skill, Mittal wrote.
He pointed out that while addiction and financial losses are legitimate concerns, banning the industry outright could backfire.
Drawing parallels, he asked, “Do we ban alcohol because some become alcoholic? Do we ban stock trading because some blow up their savings?”
According to Mittal, the immediate fallout of the band will be threefold:
– The government loses revenue
– Users lose protection, and
– Black markets gain
He flagged reports suggesting that India’s illegal gaming market already stands at a staggering Rs 8.3 lakh crore, warning that the ban could push more users into unregulated spaces.
“Short term, this feels like we’ve shot ourselves in the foot. Long term, hopefully it allows real gaming & e-sports to emerge as one of the largest globally. But let’s be honest, right now it looks like moral policing dressed up as policy. Hope we’re not trying to out-ban China,” Mittal concluded.
