India’s online gaming industry is bracing for its biggest showdown yet—not in app stores, but in the Supreme Court. The Centre’s newly cleared Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, seeks a blanket ban on all money-linked games. From Dream11 to RummyCulture, and even casual apps like Pool Champs, the law prohibits not just play but also payments and ads. But will the Centre’s move hold up in court? For decades, gaming has been treated as a “state subject.” Plus, the Bill doesn’t distinguish between games of skill and games of chance—a line the Supreme Court itself has drawn in earlier judgments. That’s likely to become the crux of the legal fight. Lawyers warn the ban could push players offshore, erase 200,000 jobs, and shutter 400 startups overnight. Industry voices argue that existing regulatory frameworks could have been strengthened instead of scrapped. So, when skill and chance blur, who gets to decide what’s just a game? Read the full report by Shouvik Das and Krishna Yadav. Market WatchMarkets extended gains for a fifth straight session, with the Nifty closing above 25,000 for the first time since 24 July. The Sensex added 213 points to 81,858 while midcaps outperformed, though Nifty Bank slipped; the Indian rupee ended slightly weaker at 87.07/$ against the US dollar. Click here to understand the key factors that moved the market today. Get a headstart on tomorrow’s print editionPlain Facts: Ethanol-blended petrol: A fuel for the future or a faulty policy push? Mint News: Above-normal monsoon rains fuel India’s hydropower surge for second year running Mark to Market: KFC, Pizza Hut operator Devyani’s kitchen has recipes, but the growth sauce is missing Mint Money: No taxable income? You may still have to file a return in these scenarios Premium readsPaytm stages fragile recovery after near collapse—can it regain its glory? A former banker now wants you to buy more debt mutual funds Top Indian retailers ramp up hiring, defying urban slump Regulate gaming by all means, but drop the plan to ban ‘real-money games’ Sneak a PeekLong Story, a much-loved Mint feature, is published every weekday. Before the next piece hits the stands, here’s your exclusive glimpse into what’s brewing on our desk. Catch the story in the morning edition. Trump’s tariffs put India’s honey trade in a sticky spotDonald Trump is almost certainly unaware of the honey-collecting beekeepers in Haryana’s mustard fields or the apple orchards of Kashmir, Himachal, and Uttaranchal. Yet, his decisions cast a surprisingly large shadow over their lives today. Trending Today!A walk through India’s online gaming industryOnce a booming investment magnet with multiple unicorns, India’s online gaming sector now faces an existential threat. Since 2017, states such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu have imposed bans, while the Centre’s 28% GST on full deposits sparked widespread protests. Despite attracting over ₹22,000 crore in investments, the industry now confronts a proposed nationwide ban, triggering legal battles and urgent appeals to the government. Love a Mint story? Here's how to support it.Do you have a favourite writer at Mint? Every day, we work hard to publish stories we believe need to be told, and your digital subscription makes all the difference. It tells us we're on the right track and helps us continue delivering the in-depth journalism you rely on. If you don't have a subscription yet, now's the perfect time to join! Starting today, many of our staff writers are sharing special, personalised discount coupon codes. So if there's a Mint writer whose work you admire, reach out to them on social media or via email and ask for their unique coupon code! (And if you're already a subscriber, a quick note telling them you appreciate their work would still make their day!) Note: The coupon codes are available only with in-house writers, and not our external columnists. If your request for a code fails, please write to me at shravani.sinha@livemint.com. Thanks for reading! Edited by Madhumita Sen Choudhury. Produced by Shad Hasnain.
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