Govt to meet banks, fintechs on Aug 29 to discuss Online Gaming Act rollout

The meeting, to be cochaired by secretaries of Department of Financial Services and Meity, will focus on operational measures required to enforce ban on real-money online games, according to source

Senior officials from the Ministry of Finance (FinMin) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) will meet representatives of leading banks and fintech companies on Friday (August 29) to draw up the implementation road map for the newly enacted Online Gaming Act, 2025, a senior government official said on the condition of anonymity.

 

The meeting, to be cochaired by the secretaries of the Department of Financial Services and Meity, will focus on operational measures required to enforce the ban on real-money online games, according to the source.

 

Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, on August 22, with the legislation receiving Presidential assent the same day. The law prohibits all forms of real-money gaming and requires financial institutions to block payments to banned platforms.

 

“The financial ecosystem will be central to ensuring that the ban on real-money games is effectively enforced. Refunds to users, compliance monitoring and preventing circumvention through alternative payment channels are areas where banks and fintechs will have to step in,” the government source said. 

 

Friday’s discussions are expected to cover steps to curb money flows to prohibited platforms, ensure compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing rules, and facilitate refunds of wallet balances held by consumers on gaming apps, the source added.

 

This will be the first major engagement between the government and the financial sector since the passage of the law, which has direct implications for fintechs, payment gateways, and millions of users.

 

Officials are also likely to deliberate on how banks and payment providers can support permissible formats such as e-sports and social gaming while simultaneously guarding against illicit money transfers, another government source noted.

 

Senior government sources said the meeting will also focus on enabling a smooth shift toward permissible formats like e-sports and online social games. “Discussions are expected to cover how banks and payment providers can facilitate payments and monetisation for licensed platforms, even as we enforce a complete stop on real-money gaming,” said one of the sources.

 

At the same time, consumer protection is being treated as a key priority. “Financial institutions will be asked to put in place clear refund mechanisms and safeguards to ensure that user funds are protected during the transition,” another source said.