India: Gaming

The surge in the use of skill - and non-skill-based games is accelerating globally, particularly with the rise of online betting platforms claiming to be skill-based, which is blurring the differentiation between the two.

The regulatory framework governing gaming in India has long been marked by regulatory uncertainty characterised by inconsistent state legislation and evolving jurisprudence. Historically, Indian gaming jurisprudence drew a sharp distinction between games of skill and games of chance, with Courts repeatedly holding that skill-dominant games such as rummy and certain formats of poker could not be equated with gambling, thereby granting them constitutional protection under Article 19(1)(g).

On April 22, 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (“MeitY”) notified the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026 (“Gaming Rules”) set to come into force on May 1, 2026...

India's new online gaming framework introduces a game-by-game regulatory approach that requires each operator to independently register their titles with the Online Gaming Authority, even when offering identical gameplay. The rules establish broad discretionary powers for determining what constitutes prohibited real-money gaming versus permissible e-sports, while delegating substantial operational oversight to executive advisories that can reshape compliance obligations with minimal notice.

April 22, 2026 marks the day India's online gaming sector stepped out of the grey zone and into a comprehensive, centralised regulatory framework. On this date, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (“MeitY”) issued a series of Gazette notifications that together operationalise the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (“PROGA” or the “Act”) and the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026 (“Rules”). Both come into force on May 1, 2026.

On April 22, 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (“MeitY”) notified the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (“PROGA”) and its underlying rules (“PROGA Rules”), constituted the Online Gaming Authority of India (“Gaming Authority”) and granted powers of investigation to the cyber cell officers to investigate offences under PROGA.

The National Sports Governance Act, 2025 ("Act") was recently enacted by the Parliament of India and received Presidential assent on August 18, 2025.

October was lit — and we mean literally. Between Diwali diyas, good ol' fairy lights in our homes, glowing pumpkin lanterns, and policy fireworks in the inbox...

The gaming industry has witnessed the introduction of a landmark legislation, which has impacted the operations and existence of the online gaming industry, as a whole.