Not at Play

I’m not a betting woman. Lady Luck seldom shines on me, and often, that which should go my way, rudely doesn’t. I will get as much as I strive for — these were the wise words from an ageing seer doled out to me over two decades ago. With every passing year I saw that unfold and therefore, very early in life, I reconciled to my fate. I don’t take chances, and the closest to an adrenaline rush for me would be calculated risk. Of course, I believe in permutations and combinations, reading people, and most importantly, listening to my instincts. But I’ll bring none of these qualities into a money game. Gambling and betting are just not my thing but they are serious addictions for the purported 45 crore Indians who lose almost Rs 20,000 crore a year.

The Indian government passed the ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025’ this week and banned real-money gaming. The move was aimed at culling the growing malaise of betting and gambling in society. In the last few years, the government says that money-based games have encouraged addictions, scams, depressions, indebtedness, money laundering, and even financing of terror. The stories of financial and mental loss and destruction are innumerable. Some lost lakhs on a betting platform to stare at penury overnight while some were driven to commit suicide crushed under the debilitating burden of debt. As per news reports, 32 suicides were reported in Karnataka between January 2023 and July this year related to gambling debts. The city of Hyderabad saw a strong uptick in calls to suicide helplines during Indian Premier League (IPL). The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS)’s SHUT Clinic recorded instances of gaming addiction at 20-22 per week, up sharply from 3-4 in 2014. Statistics from CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) expose a 55 per cent jump in financial fraud linked to gaming apps in 2024–25 while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also found a gaming app laundering an estimated Rs 400 crore. With imprisonment and hefty fines as deterrents, the government hopes to “curb addiction, financial ruin, and social distress caused by predatory gaming platforms that thrive on misleading promises of quick wealth”.

Here’s the flip side. Online gaming is big money. Flush with venture capital (VC) funds, gaming companies have spent lavishly on sports endorsements and advertisements. Valued at USD 3.7 billion, the gaming industry was pegged to touch USD 9.1 billion by 2029. And while there was always a fear of regulation and grey areas in practice, this sudden ban has come as a shock to the industry. VC funds are at risk and once-robust startups have been compelled to pivot business models by scraping money-based games. Privately, investors and startup founders are up in arms. They opine that the benefits from online gaming were enjoyed by all stakeholders including the taxmen but the blanket ban has literally robbed all participants with direct skin in the game. Publicly, most are quickly issuing disclaimers stating that they have nothing to do with real money gaming. The fear of job and tax loss looms large in a market that’s already riddled with uncertainties. As per industry reports, there are 400 gaming companies in India employing over 2 lakh people, mostly techies. With Rs 25,000 crore in investments and USD 3 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and about Rs 20,000 crore in GST contribution, the gaming industry was prospering before being stopped in its tracks.

The regulatory clarification, though extremely delayed, has finally given much-needed clarity to businesses by distinguishing between “games of skill” and “games of chance” and noting that any game that pertains to deposits or money winnings will be deemed unlawful. The government has also pledged support to e-sports that involve skills and casual/social gaming involving subscriptions or access fees. The next few months will witness hectic lobbying as invested parties strive to receive some relief. What happens to state-run lottery rings that can equally cause financial and social distress? Perhaps the government will turn its attention to that next.

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal