New Delhi, India – As the government introduces a bill to regulate online gaming, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has voiced his support for a system of regulation and taxation rather than a complete ban. Tharoor warned that prohibition would only drive the industry underground, allowing criminal networks to profit.
Speaking on the issue on Wednesday, Tharoor said, “I have written an article in 2019 that, to my mind, the government should be legalising online gaming and taxing it. If you simply ban it, it goes underground and the mafia makes money from it.”
The statement comes as the Lok Sabha introduced the “Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025,” a piece of legislation that seeks to prohibit and criminalize online money gaming and its advertisements, while simultaneously promoting eSports and online social games. The bill proposes significant penalties, including imprisonment and fines, for those who offer or advertise such services.
In a separate matter, Tharoor also commented on a bill that proposes the removal of high-ranking officials, including the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers, who are facing serious criminal charges. While acknowledging that he had not studied the bill in detail, he expressed his agreement with its core principle. “On the face of it, it seems reasonable that anyone who does anything wrong should be liable to punishment and should not be holding a high constitutional office or a political office. I think that makes sense,” he said.