New Delhi, Aug. 26 -- Last week, out of the blue, the Government of India brought a Rs.2 trillion industry to its knees. Over the course of a few short days, a brand new law against online gambling was placed before both Houses of Parliament, and before anyone had time to react, it was voted on and passed. That law has since received the President's assent. As soon as it comes into force, it will put anyone who either offers or aids and abets the offering of real-money games at risk of imprisonment for up to three years.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, defines three categories of games: e-Sports, online money games and online social games. While both e-sports and social games have been permitted, online money gam...