Older gaming pages often discuss only a player’s state, age or the skill involved in a game. That is an incomplete starting point for research in October 2026. The central government’s statements about the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 and its 2026 Rules need to be checked first. This page explains the sources we use and how they shape this directory.
Two dated primary sources
On 18 March 2026, PIB reported that the Act prohibits online money games whether based on chance, skill or both. The statement also covers advertising, promotion, facilitation and related payment processing. This means “skill game” is not, by itself, a sufficient answer to a question about a money game.
The Ministry of Electronics & IT announcement published by PIB on 22 April 2026 stated that the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026 would commence on 1 May 2026. It describes a framework for determining game categories, the Online Gaming Authority of India, registration where required, user safeguards and grievance procedures.
Names do not determine the category
The government distinguishes esports, online social games and online money games. Its description of classification considers stakes, expected monetary winnings, the revenue model and whether in-game assets can be monetised outside the game. A directory’s label “rummy”, “bingo” or “slots” is therefore not a legal determination about a specific product.
In our own records, categories help a reader locate a name, and the exact software and publisher sit in each profile’s identity notes. We cannot infer that a product is a permissible social game because a secondary page calls it free, nor infer its current model from a screenshot. A name shared by several sites may still refer to different packages.
What to investigate in a specific case
Start by establishing the exact product, legal publisher and date of the evidence. Read its current description of stakes, purchases, credits and redemption. If a regulatory determination or registration is stated, seek the relevant primary record and check what it actually covers. A badge, number or third-party assertion is not, by itself, evidence that it applies to this product.
Preserve the scope of each source. A general government explanation is useful context, but it is not a determination about each app listed here. Conversely, an operator’s terms tell you what that operator states, not what an authority has concluded. Mixing those roles produces false confidence.
How the directory responds
This project provides name research, app-safety education and guidance for social or practice play. It does not provide cash-game download routes, deposit instructions, referral codes or rankings of financial offers. Every current app profile is a source-review record built on dated listing material. How We Review explains the evidence steps behind each field.
If a future review establishes a suitable social-only product, the record must still identify the evidence, version and review date. The process does not jump from a directory mention to a trust badge. Corrections should identify the exact statement and a current primary source so that an editor can assess whether the content needs changing.
Keep the source date visible
This page was reviewed on 15 October 2026 and is general information, not personal legal advice. Before relying on it for a business or legal decision, read the current legislation, applicable official notices and any relevant determination, and obtain qualified advice for the specific facts.
Sources: PIB statement, 18 March 2026; PIB Rules announcement, 22 April 2026.