The Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority has introduced a new set of norms to regulate real money online games in the state.
The newly framed Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (Real Money Games) Regulations, 2025 introduces stringent measures to control online gaming activities, especially to curb excessive gaming and its potential risks.
Key Provisions of the New Regulations
The new rules bar minors under the age of 18 from playing real money online games. Furthermore, a time restriction between midnight and 5 AM has been imposed, prohibiting logins during these hours.
To enhance security and transparency, the regulations mandate KYC (Know Your Customer) verification for account creation.
Online gaming platforms are required to implement Aadhaar-based authentication, including a one-time password (OTP) verification linked to the user’s registered mobile number.
To discourage prolonged gaming sessions, platforms must display pop-up warnings if a user plays for more than an hour continuously.
After the first alert, these reminders will reappear every 30 minutes to inform users about their playtime.
Additionally, all platforms must prominently display the message: “Online gaming is addictive in nature” on their login pages.
Further, platforms must offer users the option to set daily, weekly, and monthly monetary limits on spending.
Whenever a user deposits money into their gaming wallet, a pop-up notification will indicate the user’s limit and the total amount spent so far.
Industry Response and Impact
The industry body All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) has expressed cautious optimism regarding the new regulations.
AIGF CEO Roland Landers commended the state government for aligning some of its provisions with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) gaming regulations.
However, he also emphasized the need for further industry deliberations to assess the operational impact of these rules.
The new restrictions, particularly the midnight to 5 AM ban, are expected to affect the revenue of online gaming companies.
This comes at a time when the industry is already grappling with the financial impact of the 28% Goods and Services Tax (GST) imposed in 2023.
The GST applies to the total value of bets placed in online games, as opposed to the previous 18% tax levied solely on the platform fee for skill-based games.
