India’s parliament has passed a sweeping law banning online gambling, after government figures showed 450 million people lost a combined $2.3 billion annually on apps.
The ban impacts platforms for card games, poker and fantasy sports, including India’s wildly popular homegrown fantasy cricket apps.
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The government said roughly a third of the world’s most populous country had lost money gambling online.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill was passed by both houses of parliament late on Thursday, and criminalises the offering, promotion and financing of such games, with offenders facing up to five years in prison.
“This legislation is designed to curb addiction, financial ruin and social distress caused by predatory gaming platforms that thrive on misleading promises of quick wealth,” a government statement said.
India’s wider gaming industry is one of the largest markets in the world, but the new law carves out exceptions for e-sports and educational games, which the government says will be promoted as part of the digital economy.
