New Delhi: The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming, which promotes esports and regulates the online gaming sector while outlawing money-based games, received President Droupadi Murmu’s assent. The bill is being hailed as a massive milestone for India’s growing esports industry as it separates skill-based games such as esports from real-money gaming.
Until now, esports was often been lumped together with gambling but the Online Gaming bill separates the two, giving esports its own identity. This is important for the gaming industry because it shows that esports is based on skill and competition rather than luck or betting. By making this distinction, the bill helps esports to grow by bringing greater structure, organisation, investment, and respect to the industry.
Esports in India has seen massive growth, with games like BGMI, FIFA, DOTA 2, Valorant and Counter-Strike dominating the competition. Esports made its debut as a medal event at the Asian Games in China, where India also participated.
One of the major highlights of Online Gaming is the official recognition of esports as a legitimate sport under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. This means that esports will no longer have to fight for legitimacy and will receive the same exposure as cricket and football.
The move also allows the government to provide clear guidelines, rules and quality standards for esports tournaments to the players and stakeholders across the ecosystem. This bill will also establish uniform regulations across all states, which previously operated on their own rules.
The bill highlights the government’s ambitious plans to promote and expand esports across the nation. The Union Ministry of Sports is set to establish training academies, research centres, and technology platforms to nurture talent. These initiatives will aim to make esports more accessible and respected, not just for players, but also for content creators, developers, and event organisers.
‘Bill provides long-awaited clarity and recognition’: Sumedha Mahajan, Ampverse DMI
Sumedha Mahajan, Head of Marketing, Operations and Client Growth at Ampverse DMI, called the bill a ‘watershed moment’ for the Indian gaming industry. Ampverse being Asia’s largest ecosystem of gaming communities and IPs, has joined forces with DMI in India, forming a strategic joint venture. The main objective of this partnership is to nurture college talents and strengthen the gaming ecosystem with never-before opportunities in India.
Sumedha emphasised that the bill not only validates years of grassroots efforts but also creates new opportunities for investment, institutional support, and structured development.
‘The bill provides long-awaited clarity and recognition, aligning India’s approach with global norms where Esports already stands alongside traditional sports. While that is how it’s always been in practice, this legitimacy is vital for sustainable growth , opening doors to investment, structured development, & institutional support. Crucially, it enables stronger pathways for players, creators, and managers, accelerating India’s position on the global Esports map,” Sumedha told News9 Sports.
She further added that the biggest challenge for esports was the lack of distinction from online gaming and real-money gaming, but the bill protects it from being misunderstood.
‘One of the biggest challenges for esports has been the lack of distinction from online gaming and real-money gaming. The bill creates that much-needed separation. This not only protects esports from being misunderstood but also helps people, institutions, and policymakers view it in the same light as traditional sports, skill-based, competitive, and community-driven,’ she added.
Speaking about the relevance and impact, she said that: ‘For us at Ampverse DMI, this recognition is deeply validating. We’ve spent years building esports from the grassroots, particularly through college competitions, because we believe the future of the industry lies in nurturing young talent. With this legitimacy, our work gains even more relevance and impact, as students and institutions now see esports as a credible, respected pathway’.
She further added that this is a massive moment for India, as the country has one of the world’s largest player bases and a passionate community.
‘Undoubtedly, this is a tipping point. Watershed moment, in my opinion. India already has one of the world’s largest player bases and a passionate community. With a national competitive structure supported by institutions and government, we can move from participation to leadership. If we get this right, India has the potential to become not just a global Esports contender, but a global esports leader’.
The Indian government plans to promote and expand esports by establishing training academies and research centres across the country. The government will also provide guidelines and rules to the players and stakeholders.