ENA Sectors 2026-04-23 17:37:24 <p><span style="font-size:14px"><strong>New Delhi, Apr 23 (KNN) </strong>The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Wednesday notified rules to operationalise the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, establishing a procedural framework for regulation and paving the way for the creation of an online gaming authority.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Speaking on the new framework, MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said that most online games&mdash;excluding real money games, which are already explicitly banned under the provisions&mdash;will not be required to undergo mandatory registration or determination.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">He emphasised, ...We wanted to, as far as possible, keep this entire thing as regulation-light as possible. Most games, which are not money games, should be able to operate with no obligation to necessarily either be determined or registered. So that entire process is optional, PTI reported.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><strong>Limited Oversight Triggers</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Krishnan noted that while applying for classification is not mandatory, a determination on whether a game is an online money game, social game, or esports will be triggered in three specific situations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Under the rules, such determination will occur in three cases: when initiated suo motu by the designated authority, when the game falls under esports (which requires mandatory registration), or when the central government notifies specific categories of games for review. As of now, no such categories have been notified.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:14px">Focus on Esports and User Safety</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">While most online games will operate with minimal regulatory burden, esports titles will require compulsory registration under the framework.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The rules also lay down explicit provisions on user safety, aimed at ensuring a secure gaming environment.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:14px">Stakeholder Consultation</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The ministry had released a draft of the rules in October 2025 and received around 2,500 responses from stakeholders. The final framework incorporates feedback from industry participants and other stakeholders.</span></p> <p><em><strong><span style="font-size:14px">(KNN Bureau)</span></strong></em><br /> </p> 45899 https://knnindia.co.in/news/newsdetails/sectors/meity-notifies-online-gaming-rules-paves-way-for-sector-regulator 2026-04-23 17:37:24 knnindia.co.in