Online Poker has become restricted in India

Key provisions of the new law

On August 21, 2025, the Indian Parliament approved the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which prohibits the organization and conduct of online games for money.

The initiator and author of the document was Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology. The law also contains a ban on advertising gambling sites and any transactions related to gambling.

Penalties for violating the ban:

• up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million rupees ($115,000) for individuals;
• up to five years in prison for a repeat violation;
• up to two years and a fine of up to 5 million rupees ($57,000) for advertisers and promoters.

The law provides for the creation of a national regulator that will determine which products are classified as games for money. The agency will also have the right to tell Internet providers which sites should be blocked in the country.

The government explains such strict measures by the need to protect young people and people with gambling addiction. According to official data, Indian players spent 410 billion rupees (almost $5 billion) online this year — an amount comparable to government spending on pharmaceuticals.

Consequences for the industry

The ban was a serious blow to the multi-million dollar market. In the first days after the law came into force, the largest platforms, including Dream11, PokerBaazi and MPL, suspended accepting deposits and disabled real-money game modes.

This caused not only discontent among players, but also a sharp drop in the shares price of companies associated with online gaming. For example, the shares of Nazara Technologies, whose portfolio includes the PokerBaazi poker room, fell by almost 17% in just three trading sessions.

According to estimates by the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) and the E-Gaming Federation (EGF), as a result of the new law:

• up to 400 companies will be closed;
• up to 200,000 jobs will be cut;
• tax revenues will fall by 200 billion rupees ($2.3 billion);
• the volume of foreign investment will decrease.

Many companies have announced their intention to appeal to the Supreme Court to challenge the law. However, the process may drag on, and the damage to the industry has already been done. Journalists have dubbed August 21 the "Black Friday" of Indian online poker.

Alternatives for players

The negative experience of other countries that have completely banned online poker has taught Indian legislators nothing. According to experts, Ashvini Vaisnava's initiative will lead to players moving to offshore platforms.

Several large poker rooms accept Indian poker fans:

• WPT Global
• BetOnline
• Coin Poker
• ACR Poker
• PPPoker

In the near future, the number of games on these sites should increase due to the influx of players from India.

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