Ashwini Vaishnaw assures support for those impacted by online money gaming ban

Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw

Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on August 21 said the government will extend support to people who may lose jobs as a result of the ban on online money gaming platforms.

Responding to concerns about possible layoffs in the sector, Vaishnaw said: “We will make all attempts to support the people who are affected by it.”

The ban, introduced through the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025, is expected to impact several companies that operate real-money gaming services. Such firms have drawn large amounts of domestic and foreign venture capital in recent years.

"When there is a large social issue affecting youngsters and middle-income families, the government has to choose people over industry," Vaishnaw added.

When asked if the government would provide a transition period for companies to change their business model, the minister said, "Let the law take its own course. Everybody in the country must follow the law of the land."

While the government prohibits the operations of online money games, Vaishnaw reiterated that the governemnt remains committed to promoting esports and online social games, which he said were “good for society”.

"We have already created programs to promote the positive side of gaming. For game developers, we will support them with better tools, better technologies, and easier access... We also welcome suggestions from the industry and stakeholders on what more can be done, and we will certainly provide strong support," Vaishnaw assured.

On August 21, Moneycontrol reported that India's top real money gaming (RMG) companies such as Dream11 parent company Dream Sports, Gameskraft, Mobile Premier League (MPL), and Zupee, have begun suspending contests and games involving money on their platforms.

The RMG industry generated about $2.4 billion in revenue in FY24, accounting for a bulk of the revenues of India's overall gaming industry that stood at $3.8 billion for the year.