Tamil Nadu now demands online gaming companies reveal AI usage, payment processing, and play-time limits on a new registration form. The state's detailed requirements land while the Centre's own national gaming registration portal remains inaccessible over three months after a brief demo. Gaming operators face dual, often conflicting, regulatory demands without clear submission pathways from the Union government.
How We Got Here
Tamil Nadu introduced its online gaming framework and the TNOGA registration form following the state's ban in 2022. The Centre then published its PROG Act, 2025, attempting to establish a national framework amidst ongoing Supreme Court challenges.
The Numbers
- Operators must disclose specific AI types, bots, or RNGs, including patents or certifications.
- The revised form seeks details on cloud/data centre locations, DNS, SSL info, and security audits for platform infrastructure.
- Companies must identify all accepted payment methods, game prizes, and explicitly state if betting, wagering, or gambling is involved.
- Player protection measures now require specifying monetary limits, play-time restrictions, age restrictions, and addiction-blocking features.
- The Centre's PROG Rules mandate digital form submission via a "designated OGAI portal," which still isn't public three months after returning a "403: Access Denied" error.
What Happens Next
🇮🇳 Why This Matters for India
For Bangalore and Hyderabad-based online gaming founders, this escalating state-vs-centre regulatory tangle creates deep uncertainty for product roadmaps and market entry.
The Take
The Centre's fumbling with its OGAI portal makes TN's comprehensive approach look pragmatic, if restrictive. This regulatory ambiguity will breed more legal challenges, favoring operators with deep pockets and compliance teams over new startups for the next 12-18 months.
Source:
MediaNama ↗