New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI) The government is committed to ensuring a safe, responsible and accountable online-gaming ecosystem in the country, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan said the government has enacted the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (Gaming Act) with the objective of promoting innovation in e-sports and online social games and prohibiting online money games.
The government is committed to ensuring a safe, responsible and accountable online-gaming ecosystem in the country, he said.
Murugan said the Gaming Act comprehensively prohibits all forms of online money games, whether involving games of chance, games of skill or any combination thereof.
It also prohibits the advertising, promotion and facilitation of such games, as well as the processing of related financial transactions through banks or payment systems.
The Act further empowers authorities to block access to unlawful platforms under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The minister said the Gaming Act also prescribes stringent penalties for violations and that offering online money games or facilitating financial transactions for such online money games may attract imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to Rs 1 crore or both.
Advertising such online money games is punishable with imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh or both, he said.
Murugan said the second or subsequent conviction for advertising such online money games may attract a minimum of two years of imprisonment that may extend up to three years and a fine of minimum Rs 50 lakh that may extend up to Rs 1 crore. PTI ACB RC
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