Online Gaming & Betting Apps Ban: Dream 11, Online Casino, Fantasy Game – Is It Over??

Do you also play online money games like Dream 11, online casino games, or any fantasy game? Then you must have heard that a ban has been imposed on real money games in India. This news is still trending on social media and WhatsApp groups, and big influencers are wondering what they will do now. Because now all online money games are being banned.

Our government has passed a bill named Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025, and this bill was passed on 21 August 2025. This bill has been made to create the first national law to ban online money games.

In this article, we will expose what this bill is exactly, what changes will happen in our country after passing it, and what impact this bill will have on those companies which will be banned due to this bill.

But first, let us know how real money games have risen so much in India?

1. Digital India & Mobile Revolution –
The accessibility of smartphones and the internet has made real money games accessible to everyone. According to online reports, till 2023, there were about 450 million users in India, out of which the number of active users was 100 million who played games every day.

2. Popularity of Fantasy Sports Like Dream11 –
Platforms like Dream 11 have made fantasy sports extremely easy. In Dream 11, I just had to choose the player of my choice and I used to win money based on his performance. In this way, Dream 11 made a revenue of 9,600 crores in 2023, with only 28 crore users. Dream 11 did a lot of publicity through popular celebrities like Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and many other influencers.

3. A New Way for Students and Youth to Earn –
Students and today’s youth have made online money games an extra income source. Today’s youth earn their pocket money and tuition fees by playing these games. Due to the marketing of celebrities and influencers, many students and youth started playing. All these influencers attracted everyone, like MS Dhoni’s association with Dream 11.

4. Economic Impact –
The real money gaming industry earned GST revenue of 27,000 crores and generated advertising revenue of 10,000 crores. It is clear from this that our country was benefiting, but the loss was being suffered by those people who did not know the complete truth about online money fantasy gaming. There are more than 3 lakh companies in this industry, and according to reports, more than 2 lakh people work in such companies.

5. Addiction & Financial Risks –
In a few cases, online fantasy gaming has caused severe problems. A youth committed suicide due to mental health issues and financial losses caused by gaming addiction. He had written in his suicide note that he was addicted to online games and had suffered financial losses.

Name of the Bill & Approval

The official name of the bill is "Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025."

• It was passed in the Lok Sabha on 20 August 2025, which is the lower house of the Parliament of India.
• On 21 August 2025, the bill for online money games was passed in the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of the Parliament of India.
• On 22 August 2025, the President of India gave assent to this bill, and it has become an Act.

This bill has been made by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and it has been implemented all over India. Real money games have been banned, meaning that those online games in which we used to play by investing money, whether they were skill-based or chance-based, have all been banned.

If anyone promotes or propagates this, he can be punished with 3 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore.

Consumer Protection & Responsible Gaming

• User Verification – All platforms will have to thoroughly check the identity and age of the users so that people below 18 years of age cannot access them.
• Advertisement Guidelines – There should be responsible guidelines in advertisements so that everyone knows whether there is any chance of winning or losing. Also, no minor children should be targeted.

Conclusion

The ban on real online money gaming in India is a huge change, especially for those who were looking at it as their future. Mostly youth and students got trapped in this online money game where apps like Dream 11, MPL, and online casino games are no longer available for cash-based gaming.

This is an opportunity for players to adapt responsibly. Those who are fond of games should play skill-based games so that they can develop skills, participate in tournaments, and play games that are actually useful for them.