Google will stop allowing advertisements for rummy and daily fantasy sports on its platforms in India from January 21st, 2026, according to G2G News.
The move follows an India-specific policy update announced by Google on January 7th, marking a further tightening of its advertising rules for real-money gaming categories in the country.
Under the updated policy, rummy and daily fantasy sports will no longer be included among Google’s permitted ad categories for India, effectively removing them from the company’s advertising ecosystem nationwide. While Google did not assign a reason for the change, it is widely viewed as linked to recent legislative developments affecting the online gaming sector.
The policy shift comes after the enactment of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (PROGA), which was passed by the Parliament of India in August 2025. Although PROGA has not yet been formally brought into force—despite nearly five months having passed since receiving presidential assent—most real-money gaming operators halted operations soon after the law was passed.
Google’s new stance also follows earlier regulatory and competition scrutiny. In September 2022, the company launched a one-year pilot allowing rummy and daily fantasy sports apps on the Play Store, while excluding other skill-based gaming categories. That decision prompted multi-gaming platform WinZo to file an antitrust complaint with the Competition Commission of India.
In August 2025, Google submitted a commitment proposal to address the complaint, offering to allow other skill-based gaming apps and related advertising based on third-party certification. However, following PROGA’s passage and the subsequent ban on online money games, both the antitrust proceedings and Google’s proposal are now widely viewed as having become moot.
According to G2G News, the immediate impact of Google’s policy change is expected to be limited, as most real-money gaming (RMG) companies have already shut down operations. Attention has now shifted to the ongoing legal challenge to PROGA, with multiple petitions contesting the constitutionality of the law’s blanket ban on real-money gaming, including skill-based games such as rummy and fantasy sports. The cases are currently before the Supreme Court of India, which has deferred substantive hearings and any ruling to early 2026.
