The Indian Government has clarified that online games offered as esports are required to undergo determination and registration with the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI), under the country's new online gaming framework.
The clarification was provided by Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada in a written response to Parliament, confirming how the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 and the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026 apply to online gaming operators.
The Act received Presidential assent on 22 August 2025, while the accompanying rules were notified on 22 April 2026. Both came into effect on 1 May 2026.
According to the Government, the OGAI has now been established to implement the regulatory framework introduced by the legislation.
Under the rules, an online game offered by an Online Game Service Provider must be submitted for determination in several circumstances. These include where the Authority directs a provider to seek determination, where the game is intended to be offered as an esport, or where the Central Government identifies specific categories of online social games for assessment.
Registration requirements also apply where the government designates a game or category of games for mandatory registration, as well as for games that are to be offered as esports.
The clarification was issued in response to parliamentary questions regarding whether registration had become compulsory for esports titles and gaming companies, whether the necessary rules had been introduced, and whether the Online Gaming Authority had been established.
While the Government did not explicitly exempt games without real-money elements, it indicated that determination and registration obligations apply only in the situations specified under the Act and the Rules, rather than across all online games.
The clarification provides greater certainty for operators as India's new online gaming regulatory regime continues to take shape.
Games that do not involve real-money play are not automatically subject to registration, unless they fall within circumstances outlined under the legislation
