Post gaming bill, questions aplenty for Indian cricket

If bill becomes law, the wider sporting establishment may be forced to look for sponsors; gaming companies may challenge constitutional validity in court

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN/GOMESH S @ Chennai

INDIA's burgeoning real money online gaming industry faces one of its biggest challenges after the Lok Sabha, on Wednesday, passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. If the Bill becomes law, the entire ecosystem, touted to be valued at over Rs 2 lakh crore, may crumble.

A day before it was tabled in the Lok Sabha, the industry, led by its three associations—the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), E-Gaming Federation (EGF), and the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF)—wrote a letter pleading their case. "Such a blanket prohibition," they addressed to the home ministry, "would strike a death knell for this legitimate, job-creating industry and would cause serious harm to Indian users and citizens. This Bill, if passed, will shut down regulated and responsible Indian platforms, driving crores of players into the hands of illegal matka networks, offshore gambling websites, and fly-by-night operators who operate without safeguards, consumer protections, or taxation." It further stated that this industry was a 'sunrise sector'.