The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) Ltd, the premier race club in the country with operations in Mumbai and Pune, has stopped accepting online bets through their web portal with immediate effect after Dr Draupadi Murmu, President of India, signed the Online Gaming & Promotion Bill on Friday. Other turf clubs across India, members of the central body TAI (Turf Authorities of India), are expected to follow suit. 

The bill, which was passed in quick succession by both houses of the parliament (Lok Sabha on Wednesday and Rajya Sabha on Thursday), prohibits any form of online money gaming, and prescribes stringent punishment of up to Rs 1 crore in fines and three years in prison for accepting online bets, and up to Rs 50 lakh in fines and a prison term of two years even for advertising or promoting such activity.