MeitY Secy S. Krishnan told NDTV Profit that the authorities will incur a hit of Rs 15,000-20,000 crore losses in terms of GST collection but the government has ‘a larger social good in mind’.
22 Aug 2025, 11:55 AM IST i
22 Aug 2025, 11:13 AM IST
22 Aug 2025, 11:55 AM IST
MeitY Secy S Krishnan (Source: S Krishnan LinkedIn)
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The government is awaiting the President of India’s assent on the Online Gaming Bill and the framework for the same will be out ‘fairly quickly’, according to S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Krishnan also told NDTV Profit that the authorities will incur a hit of Rs 15,000-20,000 crore losses in terms of GST collection but the government has ‘a larger social good in mind’.
S. Krishnan further said that after the President’s assent, there will be a notification of the day when the Bill will come into effect. The government still has to draft the rules which will be issued. “As the Bill is structured, even without rules, there are certain provisions of the Bill that can come into effect, but that is a decision we will take,” S. Krishnan told NDTV Profit.
On Thursday, the bill to ban all online money games and promote eSports and online social gaming was passed in the Parliament, with the Rajya Sabha approving it without debate. Piloting the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, Minister of Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said the legislation will promote two-thirds of the online gaming segment.
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Ashwini Vaishnaw on Online Gaming Bill
According to Vaishnaw, the bill will ban online money games, which have become a big problem for society, especially middle-class youth. The bill was approved by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. ‘There is addiction. The family’s savings are lost. It is estimated that nearly 45 crore people have fallen victim to it. More than Rs 20,000 crore of our middle-class families’ hard-earned money has been destroyed,’ highlighted Vaishnaw.
The minister said the World Health Organization has declared it a gaming disorder. ‘The International Classification of Diseases, ICD-11, has declared it a gaming disorder. Online money gaming has become a public health risk — psychological disorders, compulsive behaviour, withdrawal symptoms, violent behaviour…are being caused by this,’ he added.
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What does the bill propose to implement?
The bill proposes that any person offering an online money gaming service in violation of the stipulated provisions will face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine that may extend to Rs 1 crore or both. The provisions also stipulate imprisonment of up to two years and or a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh, or both, for those indulging in advertisements in contravention of rules.
The bill also seeks to prohibit advertisements related to online money games, as well as bars banks and financial institutions from facilitating or transferring funds for any of such games. The bill ends the scope of online money gaming players from skirting the ban in the pretext of being a skill-based game platform.
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