Cabinet approves bill to regulate online money gaming platforms

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved a bill to regulate online real money gaming platforms, PTI reported on Tuesday.

The bill is likely to be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. "The Cabinet has approved the bill to regulate online gaming platforms that involve real money. The government is trying to table the bill in Parliament on Wednesday," a source told PTI. 

The decision follows observations from the government that online money gaming provides a means to facilitate money laundering, fraudulent financial transactions, and cybercrime, among others.

As per the present legal framework in place, states and Union Territories are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes, including action on illegal betting and gambling. Several real money gaming firms masquerading themselves as "game of skills" to differentiate themselves from betting or gambling platforms and avoid a ban.

In June, the Madras High Court had dismissed a petition filed by real money gaming platforms Play Games 24X7, Head Digital Works, Junglee Games and others challenging the ban imposed by the Tamil Nadu government. The court rejected arguments of the real money gaming firms challenging the jurisdiction of the state to regulate digital platforms, as well as their argument to differentiate "games of chance" from the "game of skills".

The Tamil Nadu government, citing an expert committee report, said that online games involving real money have posed serious mental and physical health risks to the citizens, including suicides by some, in the state.

The court upheld that the state has full competence to pass legislation to govern matters affecting public health and rejected arguments challenging its power to ban game of skills involving real money.

The real money platforms had cited IT Rules 2021 of the Centre, saying that it has adequate safeguard for online games to defend themselves, but the court observed that it has not come into effect till then. The Centre has also been taking a series of measures to block online betting and gambling platforms. It issued 1,524 orders from 2022 till June 2025 to block online betting and gambling platforms.

At present, Directorate General of GST Intelligence Headquarters is empowered under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IGST Act to direct intermediaries to block unregistered online money gaming platforms, including offshore gaming platforms, violating the IGST Act.

The suppliers of online money gaming are also being regulated under the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (IGST Act).