Parliament Monsoon Session LIVE: Online Gaming Bill to be presented in Rajya Sabha today

As Lok Sabha session concludes, Speaker Om Birla attributed the House’s limited productivity of 37 hours to “planned disruptions and ruckus,” which fell short of the targeted 120 hours of discussion.

In his valedictory speech, the Speaker said, “This session commenced on July 21, 2025. In this session, 12 legislations were passed. On July 28 and 29, there was a special discussion on Operation Sindoor, which was concluded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s answers. On August 18, a special discussion was initiated on India’s achievements in space programs. In this session, 419 types of questions were included, but due to planned disruptions, only 55 questions could be answered.”

“In the start of the session, we all had planned that there would be 120-hour discussion. A consensus was formed for this in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), but due to ruckus and planned disruptions, our productivity was only 37 hours. People choose us as their representative to work on their problems, but from few days, I have been observing that discussions in the House are not in accordance with the decorum and traditions.”

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday articulated the purpose behind the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, highlighting a multi-year engagement process with the gaming industry.

Speaking to ANI about the bill, Vaishnaw emphasised the government’s efforts over the past three years, where they were “deeply engaged” with the gaming industry.

He said, “Our purpose of this bill and this exercise has been ongoing for almost three plus years, where we have deeply engaged with industry to see how the harmful impact can be prevented, contained and reduced

Shares of Nazara Tech slumped over 21% in two sessions and were headed for their steepest two-day fall on Thursday, after India’s lower house of parliament passed a bill banning online games involving monetary stakes, which analysts warned could make the sector “infeasible”.

The gaming platform operator’s stock fell 9.5% on the day, extending losses after a 13% slide on Wednesday, and hitting a 15-week low of 1,125.1 rupees.

The bill, which now awaits review in parliament’s upper house, says that no person “shall offer, aid, abet, induce or otherwise indulge or engage in” offering online money games and related services.

Speaking on online gaming bill, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said it is a mystery why the opposition is agitated about it

“Online gaming used to bring in a lot of donations to people. If someone’s betting, someone’s gambling stops, they will be agitated. It is a mystery why the Opposition is agitated, if CMs, Ministers and the PM come within the purview of law if they indulge in corruption then 80% of the governments are that of the BJP. It is they who should have been upset…”

The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Thursday with Speaker Om Birla lamenting the conduct of Opposition members during the Monsoon Session.

After an earlier adjournment at 11 am, the House met again at 12 noon, in which Birla lamented that in the entire session, efforts were made to disrupt the proceedings repeatedly. He said it was time for introspection for all as not much discussion could take place during the month-long session.

The session commenced on July 21, in which the entire Opposition disrupted proceedings daily, seeking a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. After his valedictory address, Birla adjourned the House sine die (for an indefinite period).

Rajya Sabha to meet at 2 p.m.

The Indian market for such gaming is set to be worth $3.6 billion by 2029, according venture capital firm Lumikai. And several apps are likely to be impacted if the bill gets passed.  Check the full list here

Dream11

My11Circle

Howzat

SG11 Fantasy

WinZO

Games24x7 (parent of My11Circle and RummyCircle)

Junglee Games (covers Rummy & Poker)

PokerBaazi

GamesKraft (also known as RummyCulture)

Nazara Technologies (investor in PokerBaazi, though its direct RMG revenue is minimal)

A day after the Lok Sabha passed the Online Gaming Bill, the Esports Players Welfare Association (EPWA) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking reconsideration of the Bill, which aims to promote online social games while prohibiting money-based gaming services.

In its letter, EPWA expressed gratitude to the government for recognizing the importance of regulation in a growing industry but flagged concerns over the “blanket ban” on Money Games proposed under the bill.

The association, which represents a wide community of professional gamers, esports athletes, chess players, streamers, developers, and tournament organizers, argued that the current form of the bill does not distinguish between games of skill and games of chance.

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till the post-lunch session within minutes of assembly on Thursday, as Opposition parties protested rejection of their adjournment notices.

Soon after the listed papers and reports were tabled in the House, Deputy Chairman Harivansh said he has received 18 notices on four different subjects under Rule 267, which allows suspension of listed business to discuss matters being raised in them.

“Since none of the notices received today are in adherence with the requirements of the rules, I am not admitting any of the notices,” he said.

This led to protests with several Opposition members up on their feet protesting the decision.

The Chair adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Thursday following Opposition protests over revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

As soon as the House met, members from the Opposition parties sought to raise the issue of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Speaker Om Birla mentioned that today is the last day of the session and that the Opposition members do not want to allow the Question Hour before adjourning the proceedings till 12 noon.

Question Hour has been virtually washed out in the Lower House during this session.

The bills passed or returned by the Rajya Sabha are The Bills of Lading Bill, 2025, The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025, The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2025, The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Manipur Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2025, The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025 and The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2025

Other bills passed by the Rajya Sabha are The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Income-tax Bill, 2025, The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Indian Ports Bill, 2025, The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025 and The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025

The bills passed by the Lok Sabha are The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2025, The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025, The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Manipur Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2025, The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, and The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

Other bills passed by the Lok Sabha are The Income-tax Bill, 2025, The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Indian Ports Bill, 2025, The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025, The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.

Twelve bills were passed by the Lok Sabha and 14 by the Rajya Sabha during the month-long Monsoon session of Parliament, which has witnessed repeated disruptions, adjournments and walkouts.

Barring discussions on Operation Sindoor in both House, the session has seen little business ever since it began on July 21 due to repeated disruptions and adjournments initially due to opposition demand for discussion on Operation Sindoor and then over demands for a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar.

The Monsoon session is scheduled to end on Thursday.

A bill to regulate online gaming, which was passed by Lok Sabha on Wednesday with voice vote amid din, was welcomed by many MPs who highlighted the “serious problem” of money games harming society, even as Congress MP Shashi Tharoor cautioned that the ban on these games that use money will only push such activities “underground”.

Tharoor said that such online games can serve as a useful source of revenue for the government if legalised, regulated and taxed.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, bans the operating, facilitating and advertising of online money games, as the government looks to check rising instances of addiction, money laundering and financial fraud through such applications.