India PROG Rules 2026 and OGAI constitution notified (22 Apr 2026)
MeitY/PIB materials dated April 2026 record notification of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026 (in force 1 May 2026) and constitution of the Online Gaming Authority of India as an attached office of MeitY.
The PIB backgrounder PDF A New Era of Online Gaming Governance (dated 30 April 2026 on the cover) states that the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026 come into force on 1 May 2026, operationalising the PROG Act, 2025. It describes a transparent classification system distinguishing prohibited online money games from permissible e-sports and online social games, and the creation of the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI) as a unified, digital-first regulator.
The related PIB release page PRID 2254606 (indexed 22 April 2026 in search/capture) likewise states that MeitY prepared the Rules under Section 19 of the Act and that they will come into force on 1 May 2026, with OGAI constituted as an attached office of MeitY chaired by the Additional Secretary, MeitY, and joint-secretary members from Home, Finance (DFS), Information and Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports, and Law and Justice.
Limits
| Field | Evidence or limit |
|---|---|
| Rules force date | 2026-05-01 |
| Notification cluster | 22 April 2026 gazettes (Rules, OGAI constitution, enforcement appointment) as referenced by PIB/MeitY |
| Full statutory text of every Rule | Open the gazette PDFs linked from MeitY’s PROG document list for operative registration timelines |
| UA implication | Expect OGAI determination/registration workflows for social games and e-sports; money-game ads remain prohibited once the Act/Rules are live |
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