The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified gaming-related amendments to the IT Act, 2021 in April 2023, allowing multiple self-regulatory organizations (SROs) to determine whether a real-money game could be permitted in India or not1. The ministry is said to have later dropped the SRO plan1.
The amendments were reported as India's attempt to fill a gap: the country still lacks a central regulatory framework for the real-money gaming sector1. Over the years, several real-money gaming companies have pushed for uniform central regulation to remove the uncertainty of navigating state-specific rules that frequently disrupt their operations1. A central regulation is also described as crucial to fighting illegal offshore gaming operators, since a state law cannot be enforced against a foreign operator1.
The SRO plan did not survive. The report states the ministry is said to have later dropped it, and no replacement central framework is described1. Industry bodies have since moved on their own. The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), the E-Gaming Federation (EGF) and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) announced on March 10, 2025 that they had jointly signed a Code of Ethics aimed at enforcing consistent user safety standards across the industry1. The framework applies to all skill-based gaming operators that are members of these federations, which together represent close to 200 companies offering real-money gaming services in India1.
Compliance deadlines are set by revenue. Skill gaming operators with annual revenue of Rs 100 crore and higher must implement the framework within six months, while those with annual revenue below Rs 100 crore have nine months1. Federations will then issue a certification valid for one year, renewable annually after a third-party independent audit1. Members who do not comply may face actions ranging from formal warnings to expulsion in extreme cases1.
"In April 2023, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified gaming-related amendments to the IT Act, 2021, which allowed multiple self-regulatory organizations (SROs) to determine whether a real-money game could be permitted in India or not"
The Indian gaming industry reported revenues of $3.8 billion for the financial year 2024, a 22.6 percent growth from $3.1 billion in FY23, according to a report by the gaming and interactive media venture fund Lumikai1. About $2.4 billion of that came from the real-money gaming segment1.
What it means for players
The April 2023 amendments were the mechanism that would have let SROs decide which real-money games could operate in India1. With that plan dropped, no central body named in the report currently performs that role1. What remains is a patchwork: state-specific regulations that companies say frequently disrupt their business operations1, and the question of which real-money games are permitted in which states is not settled by a central authority in the report1.
For players, the practical effect described is that the rules governing real-money games in India are set at state level and by operators themselves, not by a national regulator1. The industry framework that followed covers member operators of AIGF, EGF and FIFS, close to 200 companies1. It includes age-gating, KYC mechanisms, and a requirement that platforms do not operate in restricted states where real-money games are not permitted1. It also requires tools to identify and protect vulnerable and at-risk players, proper management of player funds and data, annual third-party audits, and options for players to self-exclude and set limits1. Operators outside those federations are not covered by the framework as described1.
What happens next
Member operators with annual revenue of Rs 100 crore and higher have six months to implement the framework, and those below that threshold have nine months1. Certification follows, valid for one year and renewable after an independent third-party audit1. The framework will be reviewed annually to assess its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement1. No dated next step on a central regulatory framework or a revived SRO plan is given1.
