TNOGA Regulations enforced, RMG operators face compliance challenges

The Tamil Nadu government officially released its gazette on the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (Real Money Games) Regulations, 2025, on Friday evening. The regulations took effect on the date of publication in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette, leaving RMG (Real Money Gaming) operators scrambling to comply with the new rules or risk criminal liability.

Multiple RMG federations and operators are evaluating how to implement the TNOGA regulations. A legal expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated, "RMG operators must comply with the regulations once the gazette is published. Failure to do so could result in criminal liability for the companies."

An industry insider told Storyboard18, "RMG operators may choose to halt their operations in the state until their technology is updated to meet the regulations."

Storyboard18 previously reported that the RMG industry was preparing to take legal action against the Tamil Nadu government over its arbitrary “blank hour” regulations, which would prohibit gaming between midnight and 5 AM.

According to an order copy obtained by Storyboard18, the TNOGA Chairperson has mandated that all minors under the age of 18 be prohibited from playing online real-money games. In addition to Aadhaar verification, online game providers must display pop-up warnings when a player engages in continuous gameplay for more than one hour. These caution messages must appear every 30 minutes, informing players of their total playtime.

“All online game providers must offer options for players to set daily, weekly, and monthly monetary limits. Whenever a deposit is made, a pop-up message must display the player's set monetary limit and the amount spent so far in clearly visible text.”

Caution messages must also be continuously displayed on the login pages of real-money gaming websites and apps, warning users about the addictive nature of these games with the statement: “ONLINE GAMING IS ADDICTIVE IN NATURE.”

Jay Sayta, a technology and gaming lawyer, commented: “The regulations for online real-money games issued by TNOGA are challenging for operators to implement in just one state. The provision enforcing blank hours from 12 AM to 5 AM appears somewhat arbitrary, especially given that appropriate warnings and deposit limits are already required.

Since the exact daily, weekly, and monthly deposit limits are not specified, each operator is responsible for setting their own, which could lead to inconsistencies across companies.

The biggest challenge, however, may be implementing these regulations in only one state, given the potential for varying regulations across different states in the future. It is essential to establish nationwide guidelines or a unified framework for RMG platforms.”

TNOGA has previously advocated for measures to curb addiction among young people playing pay-to-play games. Federations representing the RMG industry now plan to challenge these regulations in court.