The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, aims to ban all online games involving gambling, betting or other financial transactions.
Published Aug 28, 2025 | 4:12 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 28, 2025 | 4:12 PM
The Karnataka High Court. (Creative Commons)
Synopsis: On 30 August, the Karnataka High Court will hear A23’s plea challenging the 2025 Online Gaming Act, which bans all online money games. The law prohibits offering, promoting, or facilitating such games, with penalties up to three years’ jail or ₹1 crore fine. It aims to regulate gaming, promote e-sports, and establish a regulatory authority.
The Karnataka High Court on 30 August, is set to hear a petition filed by online gaming company A23 challenging the newly-enacted law that bans all forms of online money gaming in India.
The plea was mentioned in the court on Thursday, 28 August for urgent hearing by advocates C Aryama Sundaram and Dhyan Chinnappa.
According to the Bar and Bench, with this law, the long-standing judicial distinction between “games of skill” and “games of chance” has been discarded, with any game involving monetary stakes falling under the prohibition.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, aims to ban all online games involving gambling, betting or other financial transactions.
According to the government, the legislation apart from aiming to regulate the online gaming sector, also intends to promote e-sports, educational games and social gaming, with the appointment of an authority for coordinated policy support and strategic development, and regulatory oversight of the sector.
It will prohibit the offering, operation, facilitation, advertisement, promotion and participation in online money games, particularly where such activities operate across state borders or from foreign jurisdictions.
The act further says violations will attract stringent penalties: Up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine of ₹1 crore for offering money gaming services, two years or a ₹50 lakh fine for advertising them, and similar punishments for financial facilitation.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Anisha Reddy)
