- Sikkim played a key role in drafting the Online Gaming Bill, 2025
- The state blocked nearly 90 illegal gaming websites and froze Rs 32 crore
- An FIR was filed against 70 sites under organised crime and IT laws
Sikkim has been a frontrunner in cracking down on online gaming, said a senior official, explaining how the Himalayan state tucked in one corner of the northeast has played a key role in drafting the centre's latest Online Gaming Bill, 2025.
The Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which regulates and curbs money-based online games that involve betting, has been passed by both Houses of the Parliament amid massive opposition and now awaits the President's assent to become a law.
Sikkim has been acting against the menace for nearly two years, said Principal Director of the Directorate of State Lotteries, Pawan Awasthy. The state has not just blocked dozens of gaming websites during this period but also influenced the drafting of the new legislation, he added.
The exercise began in December 2023 amid reports of mushrooming online gaming sites and a rising number of citizens being lured into betting. "We immediately wrote to the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), and later coordinated with the designated state nodal officer, the DIG-CID. With continuous follow-ups, we began reporting the websites through the Sahyog App," Mr Awasthy explained.
Read: 'Rs 20,000 Crore Lost Every Year': Why Government Wants Online Gaming Bill
He said that in less than two months of active coordination, Sikkim blocked nearly 90 illegal websites and froze about Rs 32 crore linked to five virtual accounts being used for gambling transactions. "The Ministry and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) have acknowledged that Sikkim was one of the few states to take consistent action, which has now contributed to the Online Gaming Bill 2025," he added.
Tenzing Loden Lepcha, DIG-Criminal Investigation Department, confirmed that an FIR was registered against 70 websites under provisions of organized crime and cheating in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the IT Act.
He said that most of the illegal gambling domains were registered abroad, with servers based in European countries, making direct action challenging. "We relied on telecom service providers to block access, but new domains kept emerging. That is why we shifted focus to the banking channel, where deposits and withdrawals happen. Through this, we managed to freeze funds," he said.
According to Mr Lepcha, around 25,000 Sikkim-based users had registered on platforms such as Khelo Bet. "We are still investigating the scale of involvement, including whether government employees are among the users. Gambling addiction is being seen as a serious social problem, and there have already been five suicide cases in the state linked to online betting losses," he said.
Read: The Pros And Cons Of Online Gaming Bill 2025
The police have also flagged concerns over similar fraudulent activities such as cryptocurrency-based scams and multi-level marketing schemes, with reported losses of around Rs 8-9 lakh in recent months.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay had written a demi-official letter to the Union Home Minister pressing for central regulation over online gaming, said officials. "The new Online Gaming Bill 2025 incorporates nearly all of the issues Sikkim raised over the past two years. This is a big relief for us," Mr Awasthy said, adding that the crackdown will continue under state and central coordination.
DIG Lepcha stressed that while games of skill are permitted under Indian law, games of chance remain illegal, and the priority is to protect citizens.
"In some Southeast Asian countries, gambling addiction is treated like drug addiction. We are seeing similar patterns here. This is not just about individual victims, but about the well-being of society," he said.
