President Droupadi Murmu gives assent to Online Gaming Bill

Online Gamig Bill

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday granted assent to the Online Gaming Bill passed in the Parliament earlier.

The Bill seeks “to prohibit the offering, operation, facilitation, advertisement, promotion and participation in online money games”, targeting firms that offer fantasy sports and card games where users can deposit and risk money. The Upper House passed the Bill a day after it was passed in the Lower House.

Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw while tabling the bill in Rajya Sabha termed online money games as a 'public health risk". "There are addiction and withdrawal symptoms. Many families have been destroyed," Vaishnaw said.

The minister also said that around 45 crore people have been affected, and around Rs 20,000 crore have been lost because of online money games.

Opposition MP John Brittas' motion to recommend the bill to a select committee was denied via oral vote.

The bill outlaws all online betting and gambling activities -- from online fantasy sports to online gambling (like Poker, Rummy and other Card games) and online lotteries.  The move is set to give a blow to the country's $3.8 billion gaming industry that has drawn the attention of global investors and fostered fantasy sports apps like Dream11, Games24X7 and Mobile Premier League.

The bill makes the online money gaming a punishable offence, which includes an imprisonment of up to three years and/or a fine of up to Rs 1 crore. It also includes a provision where repeated offences could attract 3-5 years' imprisonment and fines up to Rs 2 crore. The proposed legislation also recommends a regulator for e-sports, educational platforms, and social games.