India has moved forward with plans to ban online gambling in the country, which extends to real-money games, fantasy, poker, and skill-based products. The sweeping ban comes only days after India’s Lower House of Parliament voted to move forward with the measure.
Online gambling in India won’t get regulated anytime soon
Now, according to reporting by Reuters, the Upper House has similarly approved the measure, and the matter rests with the President, who may choose to sign the bill into law. India’s antagonism against gambling comes from a place of a lack of sufficient understanding, argue critics.
While gambling is ill-regulated in the country, some verticals have been operating to a high standard of customer care, industry observers warn. With the vacuum left by banning fantasy sports betting platforms, for example, the offshore market will be immediately empowered. Matej Novota, Casino Guru's Head of Casino Novota, has issued a similar warning:
"In the past several years we have seen how India’s gambling market has risen, with truly impressive numbers. This growth clearly shows that with better access to technology and the internet, more and more people are becoming interested in gambling. If India imposes a ban on gambling so suddenly, people will not simply stop — they will move to the illegal market. If India really wants to do something good for its citizens, it should focus more on smart regulation, or at least a public discussion before taking such a sudden decision, which I believe will make things worse rather than better."
Billions are supposedly wagered offshore already, and the issue may compound should India completely eradicate any platforms with a vestige of consumer protection measures. Popular skill games like poker and rummy won’t disappear overnight just because the government said so.
Instead, players would migrate to alternative platforms, many of which will fail to maintain consumer protection standards. Even the threat of a prison sentence and fines is unlikely to deter the millions of players out there who wish to continue gambling online.
The government is showing a unanimous front on banning online gambling
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 also seeks to ban all types of promotional activities and advertising connected to gambling. IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw surprisingly pronounced himself in favor of the bill as well:
"It is the duty of the government and the parliament to take strict action against social evils, which keep erupting time and again."
Ultimately, however, experience from overseas markets suggests that by overreaching and trying to limit the gambling industry, or outright banning it, governments are contributing to gambling-related problems.
