New online gaming rules: Mandatory registration only for money games

New Delhi: The Centre has notified the rollout of the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI), which will come into force from May 1 under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025.

Under the new rules, mandatory registration is required only for money games while most non-real money (social) games can operate without registration, though it remains optional.

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Secretary S. Krishnan told media persons that the government has adopted a light-touch regulatory approach.

“Most games which aren’t money games can function without any obligation such as registration,” he said.

Registration will be required for certain notified games, particularly those with large-scale participation or involving financial transactions. However, registration remains mandatory for eSports. 

The authority must complete the classification process within 90 days once triggered.

The determination process to classify a game as a social game, money game, or eSport will be triggered only in three situations: suo motu action by the authority, application by an eSports provider, or notification by the Central Government for specific categories of social games.

Krishnan clarified that online money gaming is explicitly prohibited under the Act. Such games can neither be registered nor determined under the new framework.

Certification validity for permitted online games has been extended from five to 10 years. The rules introduce mandatory user safety features and a two-tier grievance redressal system for platforms.

Provisions related to the promotion of games have been removed, giving ministries flexibility to design their own schemes.

The new regulations place banks and financial institutions at the centre of enforcement. They must verify whether a gaming platform is legally classified before processing user transactions. Payment service providers will ensure that only permitted categories — online social games and recognised e-sports — can handle user funds.

“If there are no financial transactions relating to an online game or an online social game, then there is no issue at all,” Krishnan said.

OGAI Composition: 

The OGAI’s composition has been expanded to six members:

Chairperson: Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

Members: Joint Secretaries from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and Department of Legal Affairs.

The OGAI will function as a digital office under MeitY. It will be responsible for determining and registering online games (including eSports), issuing directions on data retention, ensuring periodic compliance reporting, and exercising enforcement powers, including blocking access to non-compliant games.