The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has released the draft Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2025, inviting public feedback before final notification. The draft, issued under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, lays down a comprehensive framework to govern online gaming, distinguishing between e-sports, social gaming, and online money games. The government has sought comments from industry stakeholders, legal experts, and the public on the proposed provisions, which aim to promote legitimate gaming while curbing betting and wagering activities.
The draft rules propose the creation of an Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI) as a statutory regulator responsible for determining whether a game qualifies as an online money game, registering legitimate gaming platforms, and maintaining a national registry of recognized games and e-sports. The authority will also be empowered to investigate complaints, coordinate with financial institutions and enforcement agencies, and impose penalties or suspend registrations for violations. The rules assign separate oversight responsibilities to different ministries—the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for e-sports and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for social games—to ensure appropriate governance and content regulation.
Under the proposed framework, all online game service providers offering e-sports or social games will be required to obtain registration and a certificate valid for up to five years. Games involving stakes, wagers, or winnings convertible to cash will be barred and classified as online money games. The rules also mandate a multi-tier grievance redressal mechanism, enabling users to escalate unresolved complaints from the gaming platform to a Grievance Appellate Committee, and ultimately to the OGAI.
MeitY has invited feedback and suggestions on each rule of the draft notification, and comments may be submitted in MS Word or PDF format by October 31, 2025, via email to [email protected]. The consultation process is expected to shape India’s first unified regulatory structure for the online gaming sector, balancing innovation and consumer protection in one of the fastest-growing digital entertainment markets.