India, Aug. 21 -- The Parliament cleared the country's first federal legislation banning online money gaming on Thursday, with the Rajya Sabha approving the bill through voice vote amid opposition protests over procedural concerns.

The upper house passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 in 26 minutes, a day after the Lok Sabha cleared it in seven minutes. Both chambers approved the legislation without substantive debate, prompting opposition criticism over the lack of parliamentary scrutiny.

The law prohibits all online money gaming services, imposing penalties of up to three years imprisonment and fines reaching Rs.1 crore for facilitators. Advertising such platforms carries sentences of up to two years and fine...