Draft rules for online gaming law notified

The draft rules, issued under the recently enacted PROG Act that bans online money games, aim to draw a clear line between skill-based social games and money-based games while also establishing an institutional framework for oversight.

Officials in the IT ministry had earlier said the rules would be published without public consultation.

“We changed our minds due to requests from stakeholders,” a ministry official said.

At the heart of the draft rules is the creation of the Online Gaming Authority of India “as a corporate body with powers similar to a civil court to conduct inquiries and summon individuals” according to an explanatory note issued by the ministry on Thursday.