New Delhi, Aug. 20 -- The Centre is pushing ahead with a ban on real-money online gaming, citing widespread financial losses and societal harm, a move that threatens to shutter dozens of startups in what was once a sunrise sector.

Union minister for IT and broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said the clampdown on online gaming is not a "knee-jerk" reaction, but a response to thousands of complaints from users who have lost thousands of crores against companies like Dream11 and RummyCircle.

"Without checks and balances, these companies have time and again refused to safeguard the interest of citizens," Vaishnaw said in an interview. "We found irrefutable proof that the algorithms of online gaming firms are built in such a way that no user can ...