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Breaking: MeitY to meet online gaming federations, RMG operators on Monday
MeitY officials reached out to multiple stakeholders over the weekend through phone calls to inform them about the meeting, though no formal communication has been issued.
The meeting comes days after MeitY convened a high-level discussion with banks and payment firms, including RazorPay, PhonePe, Stripe, RBL Bank, and Yes Bank
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is set to meet representatives from online real money gaming federations and operators on Monday, marking the first direct engagement with the industry since the passing of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. The meeting comes at a crucial juncture, as operators seek clarity on compliance requirements, and the government works to streamline the law’s implementation.
According to industry executives, MeitY officials reached out to multiple stakeholders over the weekend through phone calls to inform them about the meeting, though no formal communication has been issued. A senior executive from a leading real money gaming platform said, “Multiple stakeholders have received the call from MeitY officials and we are looking forward to the meeting. However, this meeting should have been held before passing the online gaming law.”
Another operator expressed uncertainty over the discussions, saying, “The agenda for the meeting is not yet clear. We are still trying to understand what exactly MeitY wants to address.”
The executive from the real money gaming company said, "Multiple questions from the gaming industry remains unanswered yet and we will pose those questions to the MeitY officials. We are still awaiting the date of notification and expect that the government informs us atleast a week before the law is enforced. We will seek clarity from the government."
The meeting comes days after MeitY convened a high-level discussion with banks and payment firms, including RazorPay, PhonePe, Stripe, RBL Bank, and Yes Bank, to deliberate on the operational rollout of the new law. The session was also attended by the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Sources familiar with those discussions said the government is working on rules for banks and payment gateways to clearly differentiate between esports, social games, and banned real-money games while ensuring smooth fund withdrawals for users. Banks have sought additional time to handle refunds and chargebacks.
MeitY also discussed strategies to curb offshore betting and gambling firms that use Indian financial channels to operate.
Meanwhile, legal challenges to the new law are already underway. On Saturday, the Karnataka High Court heard a petition filed by Head Digital Works, parent of real-money gaming platform A23, questioning the constitutionality of the Act. The court has directed the Centre to file its response by September 8.
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