New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday called online money gaming a menace worse than drugs, warning that the addiction has already claimed several young lives.

Speaking after the Lok Sabha passed the ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025’, the minister said that many middle-class families have lost their life’s savings to such platforms, with tragic consequences.

In a media interaction, Vaishnaw explained that the Bill has three parts — e-sports, online social gaming, and online money gaming.

“While the first two will be promoted with government support, including a new authority and schemes to generate jobs and boost the creator economy, the third category has been identified as deeply harmful,” Vaishnaw said.

“Even the World Health Organisation has recognised gaming disorder as a serious psychological condition. This Bill aims to protect society from such devastating effects,” he added.

The minister’s warning is backed by a string of disturbing stories from across the country.

In Mumbai, a young professional, Shweta (name changed), slipped into online casino gaming after seeing ads on social media.

A small win of Rs 2 lakh against an initial play of Rs 5,000 drew her deeper into the cycle, until losses forced her to borrow heavily. She eventually attempted suicide and had to spend weeks recovering in hospital.

In Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, farmer Surya Pratap Singh has played nearly 19,500 online games, often betting thousands of rupees each day.

His addiction has cost him peace of mind, family ties and financial stability. On one occasion, he lost Rs 1.5 lakh in a single day, convinced he was about to recover his losses.

In Kashmir, the situation is equally grim. Noor Mohammad, once a respected shop owner in Bandipora, lost his home, savings and livelihood to a betting game called Aviator.

In a viral video appeal, he admitted losing nearly Rs 1.5 crore, including money from selling his house.

Other cases include a teacher who took loans in a colleague’s name and a college student who dropped out after losing Rs 70,000 borrowed from classmates.

Experts say the issue goes beyond personal financial ruin. A 2023 Parliamentary Committee warned that weak oversight has allowed gaming portals to be used for terror financing.

Investigations by agencies like the NIA have linked laundered money from gaming platforms to extremist groups.

A 2022 report by the Financial Intelligence Unit estimated money flows through gaming platforms at Rs 2,000 crore, much of it untaxed and untraceable.

In one high-profile case, the Enforcement Directorate seized Rs 17.82 crore in cash and over Rs 22 crore in Bitcoin from an illegal betting platform allegedly run by Chinese nationals.

Cybersecurity experts have also flagged risks from foreign-controlled apps, particularly Chinese platforms, which may be linked to surveillance networks and data harvesting.

The new Online Gaming Bill seeks to tackle this crisis by banning online money games, advertisements promoting them, and financial transactions linked to them.

At the same time, it recognises e-sports as a legitimate sport and promises support for social games that promote education and culture.

Officials say the law is designed to safeguard families from financial distress, protect youth from addiction, and strengthen national security by shutting down the misuse of online gaming platforms.

–IANS

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