Online gambling regulation in India

Prohibited. PROG Act 2025 provision banning advertisements that directly or indirectly promote or induce online money games, with up to two years’ imprisonment or fine up to ₹50 lakh.

Advertising online money games is expressly prohibited and criminally punishable under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025.

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) administers Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 at central level — www.meity.gov.in

Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (central law banning online money games and related advertising)

Online casino: Prohibited. Online sports betting: Prohibited.

There is no public register of licensed operators. No central whitelist/register of licensed online money‑game operators; activity is banned nationwide from 1 May 2026.

• Criminal penalties for offering online money games under Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025
• Criminal penalties for advertising online money games under PROG Act, 2025
• Blocking unlawful online money gaming services and related transactions under PROG Act, 2025
• Prohibition on banks and payment systems facilitating transactions for prohibited online money games

• Complete statutory ban on advertising any online money game; no licensed real‑money operators may advertise
• ASCI real‑money gaming ads must not depict minors under 18 years
• ASCI requires prominent disclaimer: game involves financial risk and may be addictive
• ASCI Code: ads must not promote activities illegal under Indian law, now including online money games

• Central PROG Act 2025 came into force 1 May 2026, banning all online money games nationwide
• June 2026 Ministry of Information and Broadcasting warning to celebrities/influencers against promoting offshore betting platforms and surrogate ads
• Supreme Court upheld Tamil Nadu and Karnataka online gambling bans in May 2026, now overlain by central PROG ban

• Exact section numbers in PROG Act 2025 for the advertising ban and payment‑blocking powers
• Whether any residual licensing exists for non‑money online games under MeitY or state regimes post‑PROG
• Whether any state‑level registers of permitted non‑money online games remain operative post‑PROG
• Precise legal basis for ISP/domain blocking versus other technical blocking under PROG Act 2025
• Whether India’s federal online-money-game ban expressly reaches sweepstakes/social casinos with dual-currency mechanics
• Whether prediction markets are treated as gambling, securities, or financial derivatives in India
• Whether paid mystery boxes/loot boxes are regulated as gambling, consumer products, or not specifically addressed
• Any current state-level carve-outs after the 2025 federal ban for specific online products

1. meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2025/08/dd5d971e6e54b3949f57cee34c8e5026.pdf
2. meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2025/10/8a7f103cefc68ed8aaa2ebc9a2ed7c13.pdf
3. prsindia.org/files/bills_acts/bills_parliament/2025/Bill_Text-Online_Gaming_Bill_2025.pdf
4. khaitanco.com/sites/default/files/2026-07/India-Gambling-PDF.pdf
5. righttoinformation.wiki/gambling-laws-state-by-state-india
6. trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-11/DeepStrat_01052024.pdf
7. static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2025/aug/doc2025821618101.pdf
8. richads.com/blog/gambling-ads-india/
9. deep.poker/learn/country/india
10. pokerhubindia.com/legal
11. pokersitesranking.com/is-online-poker-legal-in-india/
12. pokerfuse.com/online-poker/india/
13. somuchpoker.com/poker-guides/asia/india
14. worldpokerdeals.com/blog/playing-online-poker-from-india-faq
15. riverodds.app/poker-in-india/
16. gambling.com/news/prediction-markets-face-a-global-squeeze-as-ireland-and-india-push-polymarket-and-kalshi-out
17. everycrsreport.com/reports/R49266.html
18. gtlaw.com/en/insights/2026/6/cftc-proposes-new-rules-for-events-contracts-on-prediction-markets
19. bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-23/kalshi-adds-india-to-restricted-list-after-prediction-market-ban
20. yogonet.com/international/news/2026/06/23/124849-kalshi-bars-indian-users-after-government-moves-against-prediction-markets
21. pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2241804&reg=3&lang=1
22. righttoinformation.wiki/online-gaming-law-india-2026
23. pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2256973&reg=3&lang=2
24. legal500.com/developments/thought-leadership/indias-online-gaming-reset-decoding-proga-and-the-2026-rules/

Researched 2026-09-21 from public sources and summarised by the Brandfense team. Not legal advice — confirm with the regulator or your counsel before acting.