India guideThe PROG Act, 2025 in one table
Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 in August 2025, and it became Act No. 32 of 2025 with the President's assent on 22 August 2025. The Act and its Rules took effect on 1 May 2026.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 21 August 2025 | Rajya Sabha passes the bill after the Lok Sabha |
| 22 August 2025 | President's assent and publication in the Gazette |
| 8 September 2025 | Supreme Court takes over challenges from three High Courts |
| 22 April 2026 | Rules, 2026 and the Online Gaming Authority of India notified |
| 1 May 2026 | The Act and the Rules come into force |
Sources: the text of the Act published by MeitY and the Press Information Bureau release of 22 April 2026 on pib.gov.in.
What the Act prohibits
The Act defines an online money game as one played by paying fees or depositing money or other stakes in expectation of winnings, whether it rests on skill, chance or both. E-sports are excluded.
Offering the games
Section 5 bars any person from offering, aiding, abetting or inducing online money games and online money gaming services. Press releases on the Act state that it also covers services run from outside India.
Advertising
Section 6 bars any advertisement, in any media, that directly or indirectly promotes or induces anyone to play an online money game. The section does not carve out affiliates, influencers or media.
Payments
Section 7 bars banks, financial institutions and anyone else who handles payments from facilitating transactions for online money gaming services.
Penalties and blocking
Penalties fall on operators, advertisers and payment handlers. No section of the Act sets a penalty for playing.
| Breach | First offence | Repeat offence |
|---|---|---|
| Offering games (s.5) or handling payments (s.7) | Up to 3 years, a fine up to ₹1 crore, or both | 3 to 5 years and a fine of ₹1 to 2 crore |
| Advertising (s.6) | Up to 2 years, a fine up to ₹50 lakh, or both | 2 to 3 years and a fine of ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore |
Offences under sections 5 and 7 are cognizable and non-bailable. Section 14 allows any information linked to an online money gaming service to be blocked for public access.
Supreme Court status
The Act stands, and no court has stayed it. Challenges filed in the Delhi, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh High Courts were moved to the Supreme Court on 8 September 2025, with Head Digital Works v. Union of India as the lead case.
- 5 August 2026: the Supreme Court agreed to hear the challenge on its merits;
- 27 May 2026: in State of Tamil Nadu v. Junglee Games the Court upheld state bans and held that a game played with stakes amounts to betting and gambling, whether it is one of skill or chance;
- 15 October 2026: the Court dismissed petitions seeking a fresh look at that ruling;
- no final judgment on the PROG Act has been reported.
Court timelines change. This page is updated when the Supreme Court issues an order on the Act.
Blocking orders and advisories
Site blocks are the main enforcement tool against offshore operators. Government figures show about 8,400 betting and gambling websites and apps blocked by March 2026, roughly 4,900 of them after the Act was passed.
- MeitY issued 1,298 blocking directions on betting and gambling sites in 2022–2024;
- on 9 April 2026 MeitY told intermediaries that helping users reach blocked betting platforms may cost them their safe-harbour protection;
- in March 2024 the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told influencers not to promote offshore betting platforms;
- public lists of blocked sites are not published, and no public order names Stake.
Stake's operator and licence
Stake.com's Terms of Service name the operator and its licence in clause 1.1. The same details appear in the site footer.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Operator | Medium Rare N.V. |
| Registration | No. 145353, Seru Loraweg 17 B, Curaçao |
| Licence | Curaçao Gaming Authority, OGL/2024/1451/0918 |
| Payment agents | Medium Rare Limited (Cyprus, HE 410775) and MRS Tech Ltd (Cyprus, HE 477481) |
| Complaints and disputes | CADRE B.V., then the courts of Curaçao |
The public register of the Curaçao Gaming Authority is the place to check the current status of the licence. A Curaçao licence is not an Indian authorisation, and the PROG Act applies regardless of where an operator is licensed.
Where India stands in Stake's Terms
Clause 14.3 of the Terms lists the Prohibited Jurisdictions where people may not use the service. India is not on that list, and the help centre carries articles on Indian Rupee deposits and Indian identity documents.
That is the operator's own policy, not Indian law. Clause 4.4 also requires players to be at least 18 or the legal age of majority under the laws that apply to them, whichever is higher.
Tax on winnings
Tax rules apply to online game winnings regardless of the ban. Online money gaming also carries GST.
| Tax | Rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax on net winnings | 30% | Section 115BBJ, Income-tax Act, 1961 |
| Tax deducted at source | 30% | Section 194BA, Income-tax Act, 1961 |
| GST on online money gaming | 40% from 22 September 2025 | GST Council, 56th meeting |
The Income-tax Act, 2025 replaced the 1961 Act from 1 April 2026 and keeps the 30% rate on online game winnings. A tax adviser can explain how this applies to an individual case.
State laws
States regulate betting and gambling, and several states had their own bans before the PROG Act. The central Act now applies across the country on top of them.
- Tamil Nadu (2022) and Karnataka (2021) bans were upheld by the Supreme Court in May 2026;
- Telangana and Andhra Pradesh amended their gaming laws to cover online gambling;
- Goa and Sikkim license land-based or local gaming only, not offshore websites.
Help with gambling problems is available free from Tele-MANAS on 14416, and the responsible gambling tools page lists account limits and self-exclusion.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers on the law. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is Stake legal in India?
Stake has no Indian authorisation. Since 1 May 2026 the PROG Act, 2025 bans offering, advertising and processing payments for online money games, whatever the operator's licence.
Does the Act punish players?
No section of the Act sets a penalty for playing. Penalties apply to operators, advertisers and payment handlers.
Is India on Stake's list of prohibited countries?
No. Clause 14.3 of the Terms of Service, checked on 30 October 2026, does not list India.
Which licence does Stake hold?
Medium Rare N.V. is licensed by the Curaçao Gaming Authority under licence OGL/2024/1451/0918, according to the operator's Terms.
Has the Supreme Court stayed the PROG Act?
No. The challenges are pending, the Court agreed on 5 August 2026 to hear them on merits, and no stay has been reported.
How are online game winnings taxed?
At 30% under section 115BBJ, with 30% tax deducted at source under section 194BA of the Income-tax Act, 1961.