The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026 (PROG Rules), notified by India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, entered into force on 1 May 2026. The Rules are final subordinate legislation, not a proposal or consultation. They establish the operational architecture for the regulation of online gaming in India, drawing a definitive line between permissible online games and prohibited online money games.
Rule 5 of the PROG Rules establishes the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI) as an attached office of MeitY, headquartered in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, chaired by the Additional Secretary of MeitY ex officio. The OGAI includes Joint Secretary-level representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Finance (Department of Financial Services), Information and Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports, and Law and Justice. Rule 8 prohibits online money games in all forms, covering financial transactions and platform operations. The OGAI is mandated to maintain public lists of banned money games, issue codes of practice, adjudicate user complaints, and coordinate enforcement with financial institutions and law enforcement agencies.
Online gaming operators serving Indian users must obtain recognition under the PROG Rules and comply with the conduct requirements applicable to permissible online games. Operators currently offering any game involving real-money stakes must assess whether their products fall within the definition of prohibited online money games and either cease those operations or seek reclassification. Foreign operators with Indian user bases face the same compliance obligations. The Rules impose a two-tier grievance mechanism requiring operators to resolve user complaints within 30 days at first instance, with appeal to the OGAI and a final appeal to the MeitY Secretary.
The PROG Act, 2025, and the 2026 Rules repeal and replace the earlier online gaming provisions under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The scope of permissible games and the precise boundary between skill-based gaming and prohibited money games will be further defined through OGAI codes of practice, which remain pending as of 1 July 2026. Operators should monitor OGAI publications closely for the first operational codes.
Licentium advises online gaming operators on regulatory compliance in India and across Asia-Pacific jurisdictions. If your business needs to assess its obligations under the PROG Rules or prepare for OGAI registration, we and our partner network can assist. Work we undertake includes online gaming regulatory mapping, licensing and registration support, responsible gaming compliance, and regulatory monitoring for gaming operators entering regulated Asian markets.