India, Aug. 23 -- India's parliament just told its poor that their dreams are illegal. Amid much sound and fury, lawmakers passed the Online Gaming Bill. The ruling benches claimed they were "protecting" citizens from the evils of fantasy sports and online poker; the opposition cried foul. But none asked the most obvious question: Protect whom? The answer is not about welfare or morality. It is about privilege.

This law is not about stopping addiction, it's about preserving hierarchy. It criminalises a rickshaw driver's Rs.50 bet on his cricket knowledge. But it celebrates the stock market casino where futures and options strip small investors of their savings with mathematical precision. Over 90% of retail traders lose money in derivati...