Zupee stops real money gaming, will continue to offer free to play games

NEW DELHI: Skill-based online gaming platform Zupee on Thursday announced that it WILL stop its real money gaming offerings after the Online Gaming Bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament.

A Zupee spokesperson said, “Zupee remains fully operational and our players can continue to enjoy their favourite games on the platform. In line with the new Online Gaming Bill 2025, we are discontinuing paid games, but our hugely popular free titles like Ludo Supreme, Ludo Turbo, Snakes & Ladders, and Trump Card Mania will continue to be available for all users for free. We remain committed to delivering fun, engaging, and responsible gaming & entertainment experiences to our 150+ million users across India for free.”

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed ‘The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill’ amid protests and sloganeering by the Opposition. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had moved ‘The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill’ as passed by Lok Sabha for consideration and passing in Rajya Sabha.

Highlighting the aspects of the bill, the Union Minister explained that there are three aspects of the bill – “E-sports, Online Social Gaming and Online Money Gaming” out of which 2/3rd segment (E-sports and Online Social Gaming) will be promoted and encouraged.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Vaishnaw said, “Online gaming is an important subject which has emerged as an important sector in the digital world. It has 3 segments – the first segment is e-sports, in which people form a team and play, learn coordination, have strategic thinking. Our players have also won many medals. In this bill, e-sports will be promoted, an authority will be created for it and it will get legal recognition. The second is Online Social Games which includes solitaire, chess, soduku, etc. In this bill, online social games will be promoted, encouraged and an authority will be created.”

Union Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw, while speaking on the Promotion & Regulation of Online Gaming, 2025 in Rajya Sabha, stated that online gaming is an important subject which has emerged as a sector in the digital world.#OnlineGamingBill #OnlineGamingBill2025… pic.twitter.com/6pdf4jSxM8

— Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) August 21, 2025

The Union Minister stated the third segment – ‘Online Money Game’ as has become “Public Health Risk”. He further said, “2/3rd segment of the entire world of online gaming is being promoted, but there is one such segment, 3rd – online money games, due to which a big problem has arisen in the society, especially in the middle-class youth. It gets addicted and the family’s savings are spent. It is estimated that 45 crore people are affected by it and more than Rs 20,000 crore has been destroyed in it”.

“The WHO has declared it a gaming disorder. Online money gaming has become a public health risk. Problems like psychological disorder, compulsive behaviour, violent behaviour are arising from it. Many families have been destroyed due to it. This has become a huge problem. Its major aspect is money laundering and its effect have also been seen in terror activities. There were efforts to stop this problem but this problem kept on increasing.”

The Bill was brought in to encourage e-sports and online social games while prohibiting harmful online money gaming services, advertisements, and financial transactions related to them. The Bill seeks to completely ban on offering, operating, or facilitating online money games, irrespective of whether based on skill, chance, or both. (ANI)