The Indian government has implemented a sweeping ban on real-money online gaming formats to cut off financial pipelines to those platforms.

This move targets the end of fantasy leagues and cash-based gaming in India. The government said these formats pose financial, security, and addiction risks that make them too dangerous to exist [5].

The ban took effect with the launch of the Online Gaming Authority on May 1 [1]. This regulatory body is tasked with enforcing the restrictions on cash-based games. While some reports link the enforcement to the launch of the authority, others said the ban stems from the Indian Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 [2].

Despite the restrictions, some companies are attempting to pivot. Sbarter is pursuing skill-based gaming ambitions with €40 million [3] in funding. The company aims to attract a target user base of 10 million users [4] through its platform.

The legal status of the ban remains a point of contention. While some reports describe the action as a completed enforcement of a sweeping ban, the issue has been brought before the Supreme Court, indicating that the legality of the restrictions is still being contested.

“The government said real-money gaming poses financial, security, and addiction risks.”

The establishment of the Online Gaming Authority signals a shift from a fragmented state-by-state approach to a centralized federal crackdown on gambling. By targeting the financial pipelines of real-money games, India is attempting to decouple digital entertainment from monetary speculation, though the Supreme Court's involvement suggests a prolonged legal battle over the definition of 'skill' versus 'chance' in gaming.