India’s central government is preparing to ease rules for gaming companies. The key change: non-monetised games may no longer need to register with regulators.
Senior officials told Business Standard that the government is likely to remove the mandatory registration requirement for social-skills-based games and esports that do not involve any upfront monetary transactions. These games will also be considered “deemed approved” by the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI).
The new rules are expected to be released in May or June 2026.
What “Deemed Approved” Means for Gaming Companies
The proposed change is significant for companies operating free-to-play games and non-competitive esports titles.
An official said: “As long as there are no monetary transactions involved, most games should pass muster. Only if there are complaints or instances of unfair or illegal practices in a game or a gaming company will the authority look into it and decide whether to probe.”
In practical terms, this means developers of non-monetary games would not need to go through the OGAI registration process at launch. The authority would only step in if specific complaints arise.
Material Change Notification Rule Also Being Dropped
The upcoming rules will also remove another requirement that had drawn attention from the industry.
Another official said the new rules will ease other compliance guidelines, including the removal of norms to inform the OGAI of any “material changes” to the game, or minor modifications in the nature or offerings of the game.
This rule had required gaming companies to notify regulators any time they changed a game’s features or revenue model. The official explained the original reasoning behind it:
“Now if they suddenly change the revenue model, there are chances of players not being completely aware about it and thus be at a disadvantage.”
Despite that reasoning, the government now appears willing to remove the requirement for non-monetary games.
What the October 2025 Draft Rules Had Proposed
To understand the shift, it helps to know what was originally on the table.
In October 2025, the government had proposed maintaining and publishing a national register of all online social games, esports, and online money games, with mandatory registration of all companies and persons that offer such games in India. The OGAI was to maintain the national registry for all such games, as well as the registration of such persons and companies.
The October draft had also proposed that once a game had been registered in India as either an online social game or an esport, the gaming company would be bound to inform the authority of any material change in the online game. These changes included any modifications to the online game’s features or a change in the revenue model. Online social games and esports that did not inform the OGAI of such changes could have their registration cancelled by the regulator.
That blanket approach received pushback from the industry. One expert argued that a threshold-based approach, based on downloads, revenues, or prize pools, would balance compliance with ease-of-doing business and cautioned that a one-size-fits-all regime could stifle grassroots growth, pointing out that game publishing is still a nascent industry in India.
What OGAI Is and How It Fits In
The OGAI was established as a statutory body corporate with perpetual succession and civil court powers under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. It is tasked with recognising, registering, and categorising online games into esports, online social games, and real money games. It is also responsible for monitoring compliance, handling grievance redressals from users and publishers, and issuing directions to service providers.
Real-money games involving financial stakes, fees, deposits, or winnings convertible to money are completely prohibited under the Act. The law only targets online money games, leaving skill-based games like esports unaffected.
The proposed easing of registration norms applies specifically to that second category: games with no money involved.
What This Means for Indian Gaming and Esports
The Indian gaming industry has grown rapidly over the last few years, and the compliance burden of mandatory registration had been a concern for smaller studios and indie developers in particular.
Removing the mandatory registration requirement for free-to-play titles and esports that carry no monetary transactions would lower the entry barrier for companies that operate in those categories. It also signals a regulatory posture that prioritises oversight of money-based games rather than the broader ecosystem.
The OGAI’s website was confirmed live in March 2026 though still incomplete at the time, with multiple sections under construction and 49 applications submitted, of which 22 were approved.
FAQ
What is the OGAI? The Online Gaming Authority of India is a statutory regulatory body set up under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. It is responsible for classifying, registering, and monitoring online games in India, including esports and online social games.
Why is the government removing mandatory registration for some games? The government is likely removing the requirement for games that do not involve monetary transactions. Officials indicated that non-money games will be treated as “deemed approved,” with the authority only intervening if complaints or violations arise.
What games are affected by this change? Social-skills-based games and esports that involve no upfront monetary transactions are the primary category affected. Games involving real money remain subject to the full regulatory framework, including prohibition under the 2025 Act.
What was the “material change” rule that is also being removed? The October 2025 draft rules required gaming companies to notify the OGAI of any change to a game’s features or revenue model. Failure to do so could lead to registration cancellation. The new rules are likely to drop this requirement.
When will the new gaming rules be released? Senior officials told Business Standard that the new rules are expected to be released in May or June 2026.