India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) notified the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026 (the Rules) on 22 April 2026, pursuant to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (the Act). The Rules took effect from 1 May 2026. The Act was enacted by Parliament in August 2025 and replaced, to the extent of conflict, state-specific gambling legislation and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The Rules provide the enforcement mechanisms, classification procedures, registration processes, and grievance redressal system needed to operationalise the Act's prohibitions.
The Act imposes a blanket ban on online real money games, without regard to the game-of-chance versus game-of-skill distinction. It promotes skill-based e-sports and non-monetary social games. The Rules implement a dual-track system. First, Part III provides a "determination" procedure: online game service providers whose games may involve entry fees, deposits, bets or wagers, monetary expectations, or monetisable in-game assets must apply to the Online Gaming Authority of India (the Authority) for a determination of whether their game constitutes an online money game. The Authority must complete a determination within 90 days of receiving an application. Determination orders are game-specific and provider-specific; they do not serve as precedent for similar games offered by other operators. Second, Part IV provides a "registration" process for games that the Central Government designates as requiring registration, and for e-sports. E-sports may be registered only if they are recognised under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, and an online money game may not be registered as an e-sport. Registration is granted by digital certificate, valid for up to 10 years, and may be revoked for reasons including determination as an online money game, failure to comply with directions under the Act, and violation of other applicable law.
Platform operators, developers, advertisers, banks, and financial institutions must each take specific action. Online game service providers must reassess any product that wholly or partially intersects with an online money game. Marketing campaigns using mini-games, gamified contests, or loyalty leaderboards must be reviewed against the Act and the Rules. Banks, financial institutions, and payment intermediaries must verify the determination order or registration certificate before facilitating any financial transaction or authorising funds for an online game. Display requirements under the Rules obligate operators to show determination or registration status and prohibit operators from presenting a game as approved unless that status has been formally granted.
A grievance redressal hierarchy applies: users bring complaints first to the service provider, then to the Authority (within 30 days), then to an appellate body (which must decide within 30 days). The Authority may initiate proceedings on its own motion or on complaint. On completion of an inquiry, the Authority may impose monetary penalties, suspend or cancel the registration certificate, or prohibit offering of the game. Penalty factors include scale of user harm, financial benefit derived, frequency of violations, gravity of non-compliance, and number of users affected. Data retention obligations require online social game and e-sport operators to retain traffic data, metadata, and related information on computer resources located in India for such period and in such manner as directed.
Our firm advises online gaming operators, platform developers, payment processors, and advertisers on Indian online gaming compliance, regulatory licensing, engagement with the Online Gaming Authority of India, and product restructuring to meet the Act and the Rules. We maintain a partner network covering Indian gaming and technology regulation. Contact us to discuss the Rules' effect on your platform: work we undertake includes online gaming licensing, product compliance review, money-game determination applications, advertising strategy, and financial compliance for gaming transactions.
Source: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026, notified 22 April 2026 pursuant to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (No. [insert] of 2025); effective 1 May 2026. Official notifications available via the Gazette of India, eGazette portal, https://egazette.gov.in (confirmed 3 May 2026).
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