India’s top three online gaming industry associations have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking urgent intervention against the proposed Online Gaming Bill, which aims to outlaw money-based digital games.
The All India Gaming Federation, E-Gaming Federation and Federation of India Fantasy Sports, representing major players, including MPL, Zupee, Nazara, Games24x7, Junglee Games and Dream11, warned that the legislation could backfire by driving crores of users into illegal matka and offshore gambling networks.
“The only beneficiary of this Bill will be illegal offshore gambling operators,” the bodies said in a joint statement, cautioning that the draft law risks exposing Indian players to fraud and exploitation.
The associations estimate that the prohibition could wipe out over 2 lakh jobs and cripple 400 domestic companies, while eroding both state and national tax revenues.
Calling for regulation, not prohibition, the gaming bodies said the move threatens to undo years of industry growth and innovation. They stressed that India’s regulated online gaming sector had been attracting investment and providing safe platforms for users, but the new Bill would only push the market underground.
