The Union Government on Wednesday introduced the ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill’, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, seeking to promote and regulate esports, educational, and social games while imposing a complete ban on online money games.
The Bill defines “e-sport” as an online game played as part of multi-sport events involving organised competitive contests between individuals or teams. These events are conducted in multiplayer formats under pre-defined rules and recognised under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. It specifies that outcomes in esports are determined solely by players’ skills, such as physical dexterity, mental agility, and strategic thinking.
To encourage the growth of esports, the Centre will frame guidelines for events, establish training and research institutions, introduce incentive and awareness programmes, coordinate with State governments and sports federations, and undertake other measures to support the sector.
The Bill also provides a clear distinction between esports and “online money games.” An “online money game” is defined as any game — based on skill, chance, or both — where a user pays fees, deposits money, or stakes something in the expectation of winning monetary or other rewards. Esports are excluded from this category.
India has made notable progress in international esports. S8UL, the country’s leading esports organisation competing across 13 titles, recently became the first Indian team to be selected among 40 global clubs for the USD 70 million Esports World Cup’s Club Partner Program.
“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. Esports is a sport- built on skill, discipline and years of grind. With government recognition and the right infrastructure, India is now poised to become a global powerhouse in esports and gaming culture,” Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL Esports, said.
Esports is already entering the mainstream in India, marked by its debut in the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 earlier this year. States like Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Nagaland have also actively promoted grassroots esports through championships and structured programs, signaling growing recognition of competitive gaming as a legitimate sport.
Published on Aug 20, 2025
