02 October 2026
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, passed by India's Parliament and receiving presidential assent on 22 August 2025, introduced sweeping reforms for online gaming, including the creation of the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI) to oversee legal digital entertainment. While the legislation specifically prohibits facilitating online gambling involving chance or skill, and bans related advertising and financial transactions, questions persist about its potential effect on betting settlement periods, particularly for cricket-related wagers.
The Act, scheduled to take effect on 1 May 2026, applies nationwide and will implement a complete prohibition on providing, supporting, or promoting online betting services. The law forbids financial institutions from processing payments for prohibited gaming activities. Alongside these restrictions, the Act empowers the newly formed Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI).
Under the legislation, OGAI will determine whether games qualify as online gambling and develop standards to encourage approved competitive gaming and online social games. Government officials have stated that OGAI's process for game classification and complaint resolution could take up to 90 days in certain cases.
For games classified as illegal gambling under the Act, violations of the operation provisions may lead to severe penalties including prison sentences up to 3 years or fines reaching ₹10 million (1 crore), or both. Comparable sanctions of up to 2 years imprisonment or ₹500,000 (5 lakh) fines apply to prohibited advertising and promotion activities.
The law imposes numerous restrictions and compliance requirements that will significantly affect online betting operations, including cricket wagering. These measures will likely create substantial challenges for payment processing and bet settlement systems.
Current government documentation does not reference any verified 72-hour payout requirement. Official guidelines suggest some player funds might remain refundable before the Act's implementation, but continuing gambling transactions afterward would violate the new regulations.
Should reliable information emerge confirming specific payout timelines, such details could be cross-referenced with government statements. Until then, claims about guaranteed 72-hour payouts remain unverified as the Act's enforcement date approaches.