The draft bill for Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2025 could grant sweeping powers to the proposed Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI), which is set to become the central regulator for the industry.
What the Draft Rules Propose?
The draft operationalises the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, passed by Parliament in August 2025, banning real-money games while recognising and promoting e-sports and online social games. Through these rules, the government is proposing a framework for the registration, classification and monitoring of such games.
Powers of the New Authority
According to the draft, the OGAI will be empowered to:
- Register and categorise games into permissible and prohibited categories
- Suspend or cancel registrations of games that fail to comply with the law
- Issue directions to platforms to ensure compliance
- Impose penalties for violations of the Act or the rules
- This makes the OGAI the central decision-making body for determining what qualifies as a “safe” online game in India.
The draft rules also task the OGAI with promoting e-sports and social games, supporting developers with access to technology and tools, along with awareness programmes on safe gaming practices.
Handling User Grievances
The OGAI will oversee grievance redressal, and ensure gaming platforms put in place systems to handle user complaints, with the authority functioning as an appellate forum in cases where users are not satisfied.
Impact of OGAI's Powers
Experts told Moneycontrol that while a central regulator for the sector can bring consistency and accountability, the extent of the authority's powers have raised a few questions of over-regulation. Experts foresee scope for disputes between platforms and the regulator.
What Next
The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has invited public feedback on the draft rules until October 31, 2025.
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