The Karnataka government has announced that it will introduce a new law to regulate online betting and gaming.

Home Minister G Parameshwara said a committee of senior officials and industry representatives has been constituted and it has been given a month’s time to submit a draft of the proposed bill.

“I chaired a meeting regarding online betting and gambling yesterday along with the IT Minister. Representatives from the industry were called. There is nothing to regulate them so far. They have agreed to the introduction of a licence system and a regulation as per law,” he said.

The state government held a high-level meeting to discuss a legal framework for regulating online gaming.

IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge said that the intent of the legislation is to curb online gambling, betting and games of chance, and protect consumers from fraud while supporting innovation and the sustainable growth of the skill-based gaming industry.

Karnataka is set to introduce a legal framework to ban gambling while permitting skill-based games following a model similar to that of Chhattisgarh.

Kharge said he held a detailed meeting with the state home minister, senior government officials, members of online gaming federations, and industry experts to discuss the proposed framework.

“The legitimate online skill-based gaming industry in India is a sunrise sector worth USD 4 billion, contributing Rs 12,000 crore in taxes and creating over 1.5 lakh jobs. Karnataka alone accounts for 25 percent of the market and contributes Rs 1350 crore annually in taxes, making it a key hub,” he said.

The minister also raised concerns over the growing underground market of offshore gambling and illegal betting.

“Alongside the legitimate sector, there is a parallel underground market that is expanding rapidly, posing risks such as predatory money collection practices, dubious shell companies, financial fraud, data breaches, and cybercrimes,” he said.

Kharge also held discussions with representatives of the E-Gaming Federation (EGF), the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) regarding their collaborative “Code of Ethics” for the industry.

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A parliamentary debate on Thailand’s Entertainment Complex Bill that had been planned to take place on Wednesday has been postponed until the next session amid rising anti-casino sentiment and concerns the bill is being rushed through.

Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra confirmed that the government would instead focus in the meantime on more pressing matters such as the aftermath of the recent earthquake and how to deal with the impact of the US tariffs.

Passage of the Entertainment Complex Bill has been coming under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks with anti-gambling advocates stating protests and a group of senators voicing their opposition to the speed with which the bill was seemingly making its way through parliament.

That’s despite the addition of a clause requiring locals to hold at least THB50 million (US$1.5 million) in their bank accounts to gain entry to Thailand’s legal casinos – a clause experts say would essentially force international operators to ditch their Thailand casino bids.