Govt proposes national registry of online games under draft rules 2025

The Centre on Thursday came out with the draft of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2025, proposing a national register of all online social games, e-sports, and online money games with a mandatory registration of all companies and persons that offer such games in India.

 

The national registry for all such games, as well as the registration of such persons and companies, will be done by the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI), a new regulatory body for online social games and e-sports in the country.

 

Once a game has been registered in India as either an online social game or an e-sport, the gaming company will be bound to inform the authority of any “material change” in the online game. These changes include any modifications to the online game’s features or a change in the revenue model, as proposed by the draft rules.

 

Online social games and e-sports that do not inform the OGAI of such “material changes” can have their registration cancelled by the online gaming regulator, the rules propose.

 

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, which is the nodal ministry to regulate online social games as well as e-sports, has sought stakeholder comments till October 31.

 

All companies and persons who wish to register their games in India shall have to furnish details such as the name, detailed description, and category of the game being offered, the age group the game is targeted at, the revenue model proposed to be used by the company, user safety features, internal grievance redressal mechanism and any other details that the online gaming regulator may seek.

 

“Every applicant shall provide an undertaking in such digital form as published on the website of the Authority, confirming that the applicant shall not undertake any activity which is prohibited under any law for the time being in force, including the Act,” the draft rules propose.

 

These proposals are a part of the draft of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2025, which was released for public consultation late on Thursday.

 

In the draft rules, the government has further proposed that the OGAI, whose office will be in the National Capital Region, shall be chaired by either an additional secretary or a joint secretary of the IT ministry.

 

Three other ex officio members from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Ministry of Youth Affairs, and the Department of Financial Affairs will also serve in the OGAI.

 

This authority will have the power to determine if an online game falls into the category of an online money game or not. It can do so either suo-moto or on the receipt of an application from an online gaming service provider.

 

Further, the online gaming regulatory can also initiate a probe against an online game that is determined to be prejudicial to the interests of the users. It can also issue specific directions regarding advertisements or financial transactions to such persons or organisations that either provide or facilitate online games in India, the rules propose.

 

Any online social games or e-sports found to be in contravention of the Online Gaming Act can be penalised or have their registration suspended by the gaming regulatory authority, according to the draft of the rules.

 

To determine the quantum of the penalty to be imposed on an online gaming company, the OGAI shall take into consideration factors such as the amount of gain or unfair advantage that a game or a gaming service provider obtained due to non-compliance with the rules, the amount of loss caused to any person, the repetitive nature, gravity and duration of such non-compliance, number of users impacted as well as the level of harm caused to them, among other factors.

 

Any gaming service provider that does not agree with the decisions of the online gaming regulatory body can appeal to the appellate authority. The secretary to the IT ministry has been made the appellate authority for the OGAI.

 

“An appeal from the decision of the Authority in relation to the determination of an online game, registration of an online social game or e-sport, cancellation of a Certificate of Registration, or imposition of a penalty under section 12 of the Act shall lie with the Appellate Authority,” the draft has proposed.