India’s parliament has passed a landmark bill banning online gambling, targeting fantasy sports, poker, and card game platforms that have cost citizens billions.
Government data revealed that online betting firms stripped an estimated $2.3 billion annually from 450 million Indians, prompting swift legislative action. The new law, passed late Thursday, criminalises the promotion, financing, and operation of online gambling platforms, with offenders facing up to five years in prison.
Among the most affected is Dream11, India’s largest fantasy sports platform and a key sponsor of the national cricket team. The company, which signed a three-year deal in July 2023 to feature its logo on Team India jerseys, announced Friday that it had discontinued all cash games in compliance with the law.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to confirm Dream11’s future as Team India’s sponsor. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia stated, “If it’s not permissible, we’ll not do anything. The BCCI will follow every policy framed by the central government.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended the ban, calling it a necessary step to protect families from addiction, financial ruin, and social distress caused by “predatory gaming platforms.” However, the legislation makes exceptions for e-sports and educational games, which the government says will be promoted under India’s digital economy.
Industry groups had lobbied for regulation and taxation instead of a blanket ban, warning that users may turn to illegal offshore platforms. Still, lawmakers argued that the social and financial costs of online gambling—linked to debt, fraud, money laundering, and even suicides—were too severe to ignore.
Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that the bill clearly separates safe online recreation from exploitative gambling: “It encourages e-sports and educational games, while drawing a strict line against betting, fantasy money games, and platforms that exploit users with false promises of profit.”
The bill now awaits formal ratification by India’s president before taking full effect.
