Online Gaming Bill 2025 India Video Gaming Industry Hails Government Support Says e Sports Will Get Boost | Technology & Science

India formally recognises e-sports as a legitimate sport with the passage of the Online Gaming Bill 2025, setting rules to promote skill-based competitive gaming while banning online money games.

The Central Government will recognise and register esports as a legitimate sport in India, promoting its growth through event guidelines, training and research institutions and coordination with State Governments and sports federations.

The ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025’ has been passed in the Lok Sabha. The Bill aims to promote and regulate esports, educational, and social games, while completely prohibiting the offering, operation, facilitation, advertisement, promotion, and participation in online money games.

Under the Bill, “e-sport” is defined as an online game played as part of multi-sport events, involving organized competitive competitions between individuals or teams. These events are conducted in multiplayer formats under pre-defined rules and recognized under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.

The Bill also defines “online money game” as any online game, based on skill, chance, or both, where a user pays fees, deposits money, or stakes something with the expectation of winning monetary or other rewards. Importantly, this definition does not include esports.

By clearly distinguishing esports from online money games and gambling, it provides the legal recognition and legitimacy that athletes, creators, and gaming organizations have long awaited. With the support of the government, players and creators can now pursue esports professionally with confidence.

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, says, “The government’s intent to recognize and promote esports, as highlighted in the recent bill, is an encouraging step towards building a structured and globally competitive ecosystem. However, for this vision to truly materialize, it is critical that the terminology used in the bill, particularly the distinctions between esports, online gaming, online social gaming, and online money gaming be clearly defined and uniformly understood.”

India has also been making significant strides in international esports tournaments. “This bill marks a historic turning point for Indian esports. By drawing a clear line between skill-based competitive gaming and betting, it safeguards the integrity of our ecosystem while opening doors for structured growth. shares Animesh Agarwal 8Bit, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL Esports

Esports is already entering the mainstream in India, marked by its debut in the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 earlier this year. By providing clarity, promoting skill-based competition, and supporting ecosystem growth through structured initiatives, the Online Gaming Bill 2025 not only safeguards the interests of players and creators but also positions India as a rising global leader in competitive gaming.

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