China will forbid minors from gaming more than three hours most weeks of the year, imposing their strictest controls yet over entertainment for youths in a blow to the world’s largest mobile gaming arena.

Gaming platforms from Tencent Holdings Ltd. to NetEase Inc. can henceforth only offer online gaming to minors from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, weekends and public holidays, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing a notice by the National Press and Publication Administration. The new rules, which limit teen playing time to three hours most weeks of the year, is a major step-up from a previous restriction set in 2019 of 1.5 hours per day, most days…

Other key points in the new rules include:

All online games should be linked to a state anti-addiction system, and companies can’t provide services to users without real-name registrationsRegulators will ratchet up checks over how gaming firms carry out restrictions on things like playing time and in-game purchasesRegulators will work with parents, schools and other members of the society to combat youth gaming addiction