- Maharashtra CM Fadnavis asked the Centre to regulate online gaming amid rising addiction concerns.
- He explained that many gaming platforms operate abroad, limiting Maharashtra’s ability to regulate them.
- The state may ban ads promoting betting apps and has urged celebrities to stop endorsing them.
India’s Maharashtra state is looking to curb online gaming addiction in the state as it is raising serious concerns about its impact. The State Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked the central government to take action, pointing to a rise in addiction, gambling-related crimes, financial trouble, and even suicides linked to gaming apps.
Maharashtra has also launched awareness campaigns and set up 50 cyber police stations
Speaking in the state assembly on the 18th of July, 2025, Fadnavis said Maharashtra wants to act but cannot do much since many of these platforms are based outside India. He explained that only the central government can make laws to regulate such apps, and will follow up there.
He has already written to the Union IT Minister of India and is following up on the matter. His remarks came after several MLAs from different parties spoke about the harm caused by online gaming. MLA Dr. Jyoti Eknath Gaikwad had expressed the same earlier this month, adding that “online gaming and betting are ruining young lives”.
Shiv Sena MLA Kailash Patil also shared a heartbreaking story from his area, where a 29-year-old man lost everything he had due to online gaming addiction. The person reportedly had “sold his house and fallen into heavy debt. Unable to repay it, he killed his two-year-old son, his pregnant wife, and then himself.”
CM Fadnavis also asked celebrities to stop endorsing gaming apps that can mislead people, especially the young and vulnerable. The state is even thinking of banning such ads. To strengthen the fight against online fraud, the state has set up 50 cyber police stations and launched awareness campaigns.
This isn’t the first time gaming addiction has sparked concern at the government level. Back in May last year, the Government of India had proposed tackling the issue by introducing time and spending limits on online gaming.
For gamers, this isn’t necessarily a bad sign. It’s clear that the focus here isn’t on casual or competitive gaming, but rather on the darker side of online gaming, where gambling, betting, and real money platforms are being promoted and misused. Controlling these would be a good move without affecting the fun and harmless aspects of gaming.
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