'Still in shock': Co-founders speak out on India's new Online Gaming Bill 2025

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Online Gaming Bill 2025, aimed at regulating India's online gaming landscape and curbing unregulated and potentially harmful gambling activities.

The legislation, while lauded by policymakers for its youth protection measures, has left the founders of major skill-gaming platforms grappling with the sudden halt of their businesses.

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Bobby Garg, Co-Founder and CEO of Passion Gaming, described the move as "heartbreaking." Garg noted that the bill has transformed a self-regulated, court-protected skill gaming industry into a "playground for illegal gambling overnight."

Yet, he expressed pride in the ethical foundation of Rummy Passion, emphasizing that the platform was built on integrity, competency, and fairness.

Garg also extended respect to other founders who prioritized player protection and responsible gaming over shortcuts, saying, "The legacy of what we built will remain untarnished."

Anikendra Das Choudhury, Co-founder of MyFab11, reflected on the abrupt closure of MyFab11, a platform he spent over eight years building.

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He described the day the bill passed as "one of the hardest" in his entrepreneurial journey. Despite the personal and professional setback, Das Choudhary voiced support for the government's intentions to safeguard the youth and hoped that the next generation would channel their energies into innovation and constructive endeavours. "This isn't the end, just a turning point," he added, signalling plans to explore new ventures in the future.

Navkiran Singh, Co-founder of Baazi Games, expressed shock and sadness as he announced the discontinuation of all games and tournaments from the platform.

Singh, who has nurtured Baazi Games for 12 years, promised users that pending rakebacks would be credited and that wallets would remain accessible for withdrawals.

He called the passing of the bill "the darkest day in the history of Poker in India" but remained optimistic that the decision might be revisited, framing it as "a pause and not a goodbye."

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