Breaking: IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw meets gaming stakeholders, seeks industry support for smooth transition
All India Gaming Federation, E-Gaming Federation and Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) alongwith few gaming operators were present during the meeting alongwith senior MeitY officials.
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Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday held a detailed meeting with real money gaming federations and gaming operators to discuss the rollout of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (PROGA). The meeting, convened at Rail Bhawan, focused on the transition framework, user safeguards, and curbing offshore betting platforms.
According to sources, MeitY officials had reached out to stakeholders over the weekend via phone calls to inform them of the meeting, though no formal invitations or detailed agenda were circulated in advance.
During the session, Vaishnaw elaborated on the government’s objective behind introducing the law, stressing the promotion of esports and social gaming while ensuring a smooth and transparent transition of user funds. He assured participants that protecting players’ money would remain a key priority. Stakeholders present noted that several companies have already taken preparatory steps to comply with the new regulatory framework.
While domestic operators have begun shutting down real-money gaming services in line with the law, federations raised concerns over the continued operations of offshore betting and gambling platforms. Industry representatives highlighted that such entities are still advertising aggressively across multiple platforms.
The meeting saw participation from key associations, including the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), E-Gaming Federation (EGF), E Gamers and Players Welfare Association (EPWA), Esports Federation of India, and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), along with several leading operators and senior MeitY officials. Proceedings began at 3 p.m.
Stakeholders also raised concerns that the government should sensitize banks to give time for transition and let users withdraw funds. Vaishnaw assured that the government will come out with FAQs and sought support from the industry for a smooth transition during this phase. Vaishnaw acknowledged that the industry is in turmoil after the law was passed and multiple jobs continue to be in threat.
The government will hold such consultation meetings further before implementation of the newly passed law.
EPWA founder Shivani Jha underscored pressing user concerns, particularly the inability of players to withdraw their balances from gaming platforms in the wake of the shutdowns. She stressed the need for urgent mechanisms to safeguard user funds and ensure timely refunds.
Similarly, video gaming industry federations also spoke about the issues related with banks bifurcating between real money gaming and esports and social casual games. A stakeholder cited, "The banks must be sensitized to differentiate between online money games which are banned and support esports and social casual games."
The meeting with gaming industry players came shortly after MeitY held a high-level discussion with banks and payment firms such as Razorpay, PhonePe, Stripe, RBL Bank, and Yes Bank. The session, attended by the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), focused on designing operational rules for financial institutions to clearly distinguish between esports, social games, and prohibited real-money games.
Sources indicated that banks have sought more time to address refund and chargeback processes while the government works on formal guidelines. MeitY also discussed ways to curb the misuse of Indian payment channels by offshore betting and gambling operators.
Even as the government moves ahead with implementation, the law is already facing legal scrutiny. On Saturday, the Karnataka High Court heard a petition filed by Head Digital Works, parent company of gaming platform A23, challenging the constitutionality of PROGA. The Centre has been directed to submit its response by September 8.
The series of meetings underscore the Centre’s push to operationalize the new law swiftly while balancing industry concerns, financial safeguards, and ongoing legal hurdles.
