2. KYC document checklist (prepare in advance)
- PAN card, mandatory for tax reporting on winnings.
- Aadhaar card (or passport or driving licence) for identity and age proof (18+, and 21+ in some jurisdictions).
- Address proof, a utility bill or bank statement not older than three months.
- Payment-method proof, a bank statement or UPI screenshot showing your name and the account used for deposits.
- Selfie or liveness check, requested by many platforms before a first withdrawal.
Rule of thumb: the withdrawal account must be the same account you deposited from, and the name must match your PAN exactly. Mismatches are the most common cause of frozen payouts, and support cannot always fix them quickly.
3. Tax on winnings (TDS)
Under Section 194BA of the Income Tax Act, tax is deducted at source at 30% on net winnings from online games, applied at withdrawal and again at the end of the financial year on any remaining balance. There is no minimum threshold exemption for online gaming winnings, and no basic-exemption benefit applies. Winnings are reportable in your income tax return, and the deducted TDS should appear in your Form 26AS. Offshore operators may not deduct TDS on your behalf, and that does not remove your reporting obligation.
4. State-level restrictions
Online money gaming is regulated inconsistently across India. Several states, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Odisha, Nagaland, and Sikkim, impose bans or restrictive licensing regimes on real-money online gaming, alongside central-level rules under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 and its corresponding 2026 Rules. Access, deposits, and payment processing may all be blocked depending on where you live. Nobody, including us, can give you legal certainty here; a qualified professional can.