India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 to add definitions covering online gaming, with effect from 28 October 2022. The change was made by notification G.S.R. 794(E), dated 28.10.2022, which substituted clauses (a) and (b) of rule 3(1) and clause (f)1.
The amendment inserted a set of definitions into rule 2(1) of the rules. An "online game" is defined as a game offered on the Internet and accessible by a user through a computer resource or an intermediary. An "online gaming intermediary" is any intermediary that enables users of its computer resource to access one or more online games. An "online real money game" is an online game where a user makes a deposit in cash or kind with the expectation of earning winnings on that deposit, with winnings defined as any prize, in cash or kind, distributed or intended to be distributed based on the user's performance and the rules of the game1.
The same amendment created the categories of "permissible online game" and "permissible online real money game," the latter being an online real money game verified by an online gaming self-regulatory body under rule 4A. An "online gaming self-regulatory body" is an entity designated as such under rule 4A1.
The rules were originally notified by G.S.R. 139(E), dated 25.2.2021, published in the Gazette of India, Extra., Pt. II, Sec. 3(i), dated 25.2.2021, and come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette1. The text carries the note "[updated as on 10.02.2026]" and shows later insertions by G.S.R. 275(E), dated 6.4.2023, and G.S.R. 120(E), dated 10.02.20261.
"Subs. by G.S.R. 794(E), dated 28.10.2022 (w.e.f. 28.10.2022)."
| Term | Definition inserted |
|---|---|
| Online game | A game offered on the Internet and accessible through a computer resource or an intermediary |
| Online gaming intermediary | Any intermediary that enables users to access one or more online games |
| Online real money game | An online game where a user deposits cash or kind expecting to earn winnings |
| Permissible online real money game | An online real money game verified by an online gaming self-regulatory body under rule 4A |
What it means for players
The definitions set out what counts as an online game and an online real money game under India's intermediary rules, and they tie the "permissible" label for real money games to verification by a self-regulatory body. The rules also list, among the grounds on which an intermediary's access can be restricted, content in the nature of an online game that is not verified as a permissible online game, and advertisement or promotion of such a game or of an intermediary offering it1. For players in India, that means the rules distinguish between games that carry the permissible status and those that do not, and place duties on intermediaries rather than setting out player-facing permissions. The text does not state which specific games or operators hold permissible status.
What happens next
The rules text records later amendments by G.S.R. 275(E), dated 6.4.2023, and G.S.R. 120(E), dated 10.02.2026, and is marked as updated as on 10.02.20261. No further steps tied to G.S.R. 794(E) itself are set out in the text.
Sources1 sources
- 550681ab908f8afb135b0ad42816a1c9.pdf, meity.gov.in
