<h1>Legislature bans pay-to-play online gambling games, outlaws facilitation and ads while creating authority for eSports and social gaming</h1> The legislature passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill to ban operation, facilitation and advertisement of online games played with money, citing concerns over addiction, money laundering, financial fraud and public-health harms. The law establishes an authority to promote and regulate eSports and online social gaming, grant legal recognition to non-monetized segments and support development of a national game industry. Government statements emphasize WHO-recognized gaming disorder, reported family and financial harms including suicides, and frame the ban as a preventive measure while fostering legitimate game development.