A new regulator has been set up in India to oversee the implementation of the recent real-money games ban.

The Online Gaming Authority of India will be based in Delhi and will operate under India’s Electronics and IT Ministry (MeitY).

The creation of a new regulatory body was first alluded to back in August when the “Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025” was tabled in the Indian Parliament with the goal to “regulate, promote, and develop India’s online gaming sector, including e-sports, educational, and social games”.

In that regard, the regulator will have the power to issue five-year licence certificates for approved games, reject applications it deems invalid, impose penalties for regulatory breaches, as well as to manage a ‘National Registry of Online Social Games and E-sports’ that will list all banned real-money games.

Other responsibilities are currently being drafted, with MeitY in the process of consulting the public on the draft rules, as well as the proposed definition of money games, until 31 October.

Under the draft framework, online money games are digital products that involve any types of wagers, stakes, or cash prizes, and are strictly prohibited – with those found to supply such offers liable to legal sanctions.

The real-money games vs games of chance debate has been at the forefront of discussions around gambling in India for quite some time now.

Primarily driven by concerns about increasing rates of problem gambling and prominence of gambling ads among the youth, the final decision to officially segregate one from the other has had wide-reaching consequences not only for companies operating in India, but also for global conglomerates as well.

Google for example had its hand forced on multiple occasions to review and adapt its regional policies concerning the availability of real-money games on its Play Store. 

At one point the situation reached a boiling point when Google representatives were questioned over suspected money laundering from actors offering online betting apps on the Play Store.

Gambling companies, both local and international, have also suffered as a consequence of the real-money games prohibition, with the most notable case being that of Flutter having to close down its Junglee division.

Some might even argue that online gambling firms have felt victims of India’s policies long before the introduction of the latest regulations, with PM Modi’s government slapping a 28% GST levy on all player deposits back in 2023.