A New Era of Online Gaming Governance

• Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming (PROG) Act, 2025, enacted by Parliament in August 2025, creates India's first central statutory framework on online gaming, banning online money games while promoting e-sports and online social games.
• Operationalised by the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026, notified by MeitY and effective from 1 May 2026.
• Establishes the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI) as a unified, digital-first regulator.
• Relevant for GS-II (governance/legislation), GS-III (IT, internal security, economy) and Essay (digital ethics).