In a landmark transfer to manage India’s $3.8 billion on-line gaming business, the Rajya Sabha right now handed the Promotion and Regulation of On-line Gaming Invoice, 2025, which was first accepted by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The invoice seeks to ban the operation, facilitation, and commercial of on-line video games performed for cash, aiming to curb rising cases of habit, cash laundering, and monetary fraud.
The laws, launched by Union Minister for Electronics and Data Expertise Ashwini Vaishnaw, bans all money-based on-line video games, together with betting apps and fantasy sports activities, whereas introducing harsh penalties for violators–up to 3 years in jail and fines of Rs 1 crore for repeat offences.
It additionally imposes strict penalties on celebrities and influencers endorsing such platforms, with imprisonment of as much as two years and fines as much as Rs 50 lakh for first-time violations, escalating to 3 years and Rs 1 crore for repeat offenses.
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However even earlier than the brand new invoice comes into power, an extended record of Tollywood and Bollywood actors, cricketers, and social media influencers had already come below police and Enforcement Directorate (ED) scrutiny for endorsing unlawful betting platforms similar to 1xBet, Junglee Rummy, JeetWin, Betway, Lotus365, and others.
Additionally Learn:On-line gaming invoice tabled in Lok Sabha after 3.5 years; real-money video games face tight scrutiny
Tollywood below highlight
Earlier within the 12 months, round 29 celebrities had been reportedly summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his or her alleged involvement in selling unlawful betting purposes.
The high-profile crackdown marked one of the vital important actions taken towards celebrities. The FIR allegedly included names similar to Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati and Prakash Raj, together with apps like A23, Jungle Rummy and others.
Actors together with Manchu Lakshmi, Pranitha Subhash, Nidhhi Agerwal and several other tv personalities had been additionally charged for endorsing platforms similar to Yolo247, JeetWin, Junglee Rummy and so forth.
The ED’s cash laundering probe below the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA) focused 29 celebrities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, with investigators alleging that many of those apps used rigged algorithms to lure customers.
Bollywood stars summoned
A number of Bollywood stars, together with Tamannaah Bhatia, Sunny Leone, Kajal Aggarwal, Mimi Chakraborty, Nargis Fakhri, Kiara Advani and Ranbir Kapoor, had been reportedly linked to offshore betting app promotions regardless of repeated authorities warnings.
In November 2024, a Public Curiosity Litigation filed earlier than the Supreme Court docket named Sunny Leone, Kajal Aggarwal and Mimi Chakraborty, accusing them of endorsing unlawful gaming platforms that misled customers and triggered heavy monetary losses.
Earlier, in 2022, actors similar to Nargis Fakhri, Amy Jackson, Kiara Advani, Esha Gupta and Rannvijay Singh Singha had been cited for backing offshore betting manufacturers in violation of advisories issued by the Data and Broadcasting Ministry. The ministry had warned that such promotions might appeal to motion below the Shopper Safety Act and IT Guidelines.
Individually, the Enforcement Directorate had in 2023 summoned Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor in reference to betting app case, in search of particulars of funds they reportedly acquired for promotional actions.
Additionally Learn:On-line Gaming Invoice 2025 | E-sports, social video games to get authorized framework as Centre targets RMG platforms, promoters
Cricketers dealing with ED probe
Distinguished cricketers are additionally reportedly below the scanner.
Suresh Raina was allegedly questioned on August 12 over his ambassador function with 1xBet.
Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh are being probed for surrogate endorsements of 1xBat.
Rohit Sharma, Sourav Ganguly and Hardik Pandya had been named in a 2023 PIL for selling fantasy sports activities apps through the IPL.
MS Dhoni, Mithali Raj, Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom have additionally been flagged in earlier PILs for endorsements.
Influencers below scrutiny
Police had additionally booked YouTubers and Instagram influencers, together with Bayya Sunny Yadav, Harsha Sai, and Tasty Teja, accusing them of deceptive lakhs of followers by advertisements for Dafabet, Betway, and Lotus365, with some complaints linking these promotions to important monetary losses and even suicides.
Backdrop to crackdown
The Centre cited alarming figures to justify the legislation–45 crore Indians lose practically Rs 20,000 crore yearly on on-line video games, whereas the unlawful betting market is estimated at Rs 8.3 lakh crore and rising 30 per cent annually. Officers have linked greater than 1,000 suicides to frauds tied to betting apps.
Trade our bodies such because the All India Gaming Federation warn the blanket ban might shrink valuations by Rs 2 lakh crore and drive customers to offshore platforms. Celebrities like Vijay Deverakonda and Prakash Raj have argued their endorsements had been of “skill-based” video games that had been authorized in some states, whereas others stated profitable contracts blinded them to authorized dangers.
