Esports games must be registered with India’s Online Gaming Authority, minister confirms
The government has clarified that online games offered as esports must undergo determination and registration under India’s new online gaming framework.
India.- Online games offered as esports must be determined and registered with the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI), the government has confirmed. Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada provided the clarification in a written response on how the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 and its accompanying rules apply to the vertical.
An Online Game Service Provider must apply for determination, and the OGAI will assess whether the product qualifies as an esport, an online social game or a prohibited online money game. Each game offered by a provider must be separately registered when registration is required. An esport must also be recognised under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 before it can be registered.
Non-real-money social games are not automatically subject to determination or registration, although the OGAI or Central Government can bring specific games or categories into the process.
