New Delhi: The government has proposed making the violation of online money gaming rules a non-bailable offence and holding the entire company staff liable for facilitating the breach, according to draft rules released on Thursday.
The draft rules allow any authorised officer under the regulations to enter any place — whether physical or digital — to search and arrest without a warrant any person suspected of having committed, or about to commit, an offence under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming (PROG) Act 2025.
“Notwithstanding anything contained in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, offences under section 5 and section 7 shall be cognizable and non-bailable,” the draft rules state.
Section 5 prohibits entities from offering, aiding, abetting, inducing, or engaging in online money games and online money gaming services. Section 7 bars banks, financial institutions, or any other persons from facilitating financial transactions for any online money gaming service.
These draft rules have been framed under section 19 of the PROG Act, which received the President’s assent and was notified on August 22. The Act, approved by Parliament in August, bans online money games and money-based gaming services in India, as well as their promotion.
Additionally, the rules offer protection to officers or authorised persons conducting searches of suspicious places, including digital devices, from any lawsuits or legal proceedings.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has invited feedback and comments on the draft rules by October 31.
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https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/violation-of-online-money-gaming-rules-now-a-non-bailable-offence-prog-act-2025