The Esports Exception: What's Actually Legal to Play and Wager On in India Now

India didn't soften its online gaming laws in 2026 — it drew a hard line. Real-money games are out. Fantasy sports, online rummy, poker, casino formats: banned, whether they're skill or chance, full stop. But the same law that shut all of that down went out of its way to protect one thing: esports. In this episode we break down exactly where that line sits after the PROG Rules came into force on 1 May 2026 and the Supreme Court's 27 May ruling, what "esports exception" actually means for players, why winning prize money in a tournament is legal but betting on that same tournament is not, and why the offshore "alternative" everyone's whispering about is the riskiest move you can make right now. If you play online in India and you want to know what's still on the table, this is the one to listen to.