Govt should have considered forward-looking options for money games

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The Bill, among other things, seeks to prohibit online money gaming in the country. Predictably, the move has sent the online gaming industry into a tizzy. As reports suggest, there are thousands of high-skill jobs at stake. The Bill’s statement of objects and reasons notes that the widespread proliferation of online money games, easily accessible on mobile devices and computers, has led to grave social, economic, and psychological consequences across the country. These platforms tend to promote addictive behaviour, which results in mental-health issues and