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Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says Government will support workers as India bans online money games
Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government will back workers impacted by India’s ban on real-money gaming, a move reshaping the ₹19,920 crore industry.
The technology minister sought to reassure workers who may lose their jobs after the Indian government moved to outlaw online money gaming, saying the state would step in to support those affected. “We will make all attempts to support the people who are affected by it,” Ashwini Vaishnaw, the minister for electronics and information technology said.
The ban, introduced under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, represents one of the most sweeping crackdowns yet on an industry that has drawn billions in investment from both domestic and foreign venture capital. Companies offering real-money contests — a segment that has grown rapidly in recent years — are expected to bear the brunt.
“When there is a large social issue affecting youngsters and middle-income families, the government has to choose people over industry,” Vaishnaw said in an exclusive interview to Moneycontrol. Asked whether companies would be given time to pivot their business models, he added: “Let the law take its own course. Everybody in the country must follow the law of the land.”
While money gaming platforms face prohibition, the minister emphasized that the government remains committed to esports and online social games, which he described as “good for society.” He said the state had “already created programs to promote the positive side of gaming” and pledged additional backing for developers, including “better tools, better technologies, and easier access.”
India’s largest real-money gaming firms — including Dream11’s parent Dream Sports, Gameskraft, Mobile Premier League and Zupee — began suspending cash contests this week.
The financial stakes are significant. Real-money gaming accounted for roughly ₹19,920 crore of India’s ₹31,540 crore gaming market in the last fiscal year, according to industry estimates. The ban could reshape the sector overnight, cutting off its most lucrative revenue stream while testing the government’s ability to cushion the fallout for investors and workers alike.
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