Key Points

The new law imposes stringent penalties on those facilitating such services, with imprisonment of up to three years and fines reaching Rs 1 crore. Advertising or promoting such platforms will also attract punishment of up to two years and fines of Rs 50 lakh.

After Parliament gave its nod to the Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it would save society from the harmful effects of online money games. The Rajya Sabha passed the bill in just 26 minutes on Thursday, a day after the Lok Sabha cleared it within seven minutes.

Both Houses witnessed strong protests by the Opposition members who alleged procedural irregularities and insufficient debate.

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, while piloting the legislation, argued that the move was essential to protect families from financial ruin caused by online gambling.

“From time to time, society grapples with social evils. In these circumstances, it is the duty of the government and the Parliament to probe and make laws to control them,” Vaishnaw said in the Rajya Sabha, adding that people were losing their “life’s savings” in such platforms.

The minister also added that around 45 crore people have been affected, and around Rs 20,000 crore have been lost because of online money game.

Several platforms, such as WinZO and Nazara Technologies-backed Moonshine Technologies (PokerBaazi), suspended their real-money online gaming operations after the bill was passed by the Parliament.

With Presidential assent, the law now comes into effect.

- IANS