Centre Announces New Regulations for Online Gaming

The Central Government has taken a pivotal decision to regulate online games involving monetary stakes. It has recently notified the rules pertaining to the Online Gaming Promotion and Regulation Act, which was approved by Parliament last year. These regulations are set to come into effect starting May 1st. Concurrently, the Union Ministry of Electronics and IT has decided to establish a dedicated authority to oversee the online gaming sector. This authority will be empowered to determine which games are lawful and which are not.

The IT Ministry has clarified that mandatory registration is not required for general games, provided they do not involve real money. However, e-sports games are required to register in accordance with the law. It was stated that determining whether a specific game is an online money game, a social game, or an e-sports game is generally optional. Nevertheless, registration becomes mandatory in instances where the authority itself initiates the identification process, or for specific games explicitly designated by the Centre.

An authority comprising six officials has been constituted to streamline the online gaming sector within the country. The Additional Secretary to the Union Ministry of Electronics and IT will serve as the Chairperson, while Joint Secretaries from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Finance, Information and Broadcasting, Youth Affairs, and Law will serve as members. The government anticipates that these measures will enhance transparency within the online gaming sector.