India's New Online Gaming Law — what changes 1 May 2026

One-line answer: Since 1 May 2026 every online money game is banned in India — skill or chance. There is no registration that makes a real-money app legal.

• Skill is no longer a defence. The ban is defined by the stake, so paid rummy, poker and fantasy sports are all caught.
• No app can register. Recognition exists only for e-sports and free social games, never for a money game.
• The Act prescribes no penalty for playing. It punishes those who offer — up to 3 years or ₹1 crore — advertise, or process payments.

• 30% flat tax on winnings (§115BBJ of Income Tax Act) — owed even on an illegal app.
• State gambling laws — they still govern offline betting, and a few reach players.
• Casinos in Goa / Daman / Sikkim — preserved under state laws (offline only).

• cybercrime.gov.in — for any real-money gaming app.
• 1930 — 24×7 cyber helpline. Call the same day; speed matters for a payment freeze.
• Your bank, in writing — keep the acknowledgement and the UPI reference numbers.

righttoinformation.wiki/online-gaming-law-india-2026

RTI Wiki — citizen-first legal content. April 2026. Forward to anyone who plays real-money games.

Issues like this are common — every year lakhs of Indian citizens face the same hurdle. The core legal frameworks are the Right to Information Act, 2005, the Information Technology Act, 2000 (for online matters), and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The enforcement bodies vary by issue but most start with a complaint to the relevant department PIO + a parallel CPGRAMS filing.

1. Step 1 — file an RTI under §6 of the RTI Act 2005 to the relevant department PIO. Use AI RTI Drafter for free.
2. Step 2 — parallel CPGRAMS complaint at pgportal.gov.in for service-delivery push.
3. Step 3 — if PIO refuses, §19(1) First Appeal in 30 days. Use First Appeal Builder.
4. Step 4 — for fraud / criminal matters, FIR at local police station + cybercrime portal (cybercrime.gov.in) + NCRP helpline 1930.
5. Step 5 — for consumer issues, Consumer Court under Consumer Protection Act 2019 (e-filing at e-jagriti.gov.in).

• Right to Information Act, 2005 — full text
• Bhagat Singh v. CIC (Delhi HC, 2007) — procedural objections cannot defeat RTI
• CPGRAMS — pgportal.gov.in (DARPG)
• Cybercrime portal — cybercrime.gov.in
• National Consumer Helpline — 1915

• AI RTI Drafter
• First Appeal Builder
• AwaazRTI (voice in 11 Indian languages)
• Case-law database (300+)
• RTI Act, 2005