Lawmakers in India have passed a wide-ranging ban on online gambling. Figures showing that people across the country spend US$2.3 bn annually on internet gambling sites were a key reason for the swift approval of the Permission and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill.
The hope is that the change will ease addiction levels, social distress, and financial issues related to “predatory gaming platforms that thrive on misleading promises of quick wealth.”
face as much as five years in prison
Everything from poker to table games to fantasy sports will be impacted due to the change. Anyone caught operating, financing, or providing these types of products will face as much as five years in prison. Some of the exempt activities include esports and certain types of educational games.
The bill still needs an official ratification from President Droupadi Murmu before it goes into effect. Lawmakers who opposed the ban said that people can just move to offshore sites, and that it is better to regulate these activities and tax them.
One of the many questions that the sudden passage of the bill throws up is what happens to the sponsorship of the country’s cricket team. Dream11, a highly popular fantasy sports platform in the country, is the main shirt sponsor of the national team until at least July 2026.
