NEW DELHI: India’s parliament has passed a sweeping law banning online gambling, after government figures showed 450 million people lost a combined $2.3 billion annually on apps. The ban impacts platforms for card games, poker and fantasy sports, including India’s wildly popular homegrown fantasy cricket apps. The government said roughly a third of the world’s most populous country had lost money gambling online.

Union Cabinet approves Bill to ban online real money games, impacting industry giants like Dream11 and PokerBaazi.

Government considers banning online real money gaming to protect citizens, industry protests potential loss of jobs and revenue.