Ahmedabad, Feb 20 (Agency) The E-Gaming Federation (EGF) on Sunday said that the Indian online gaming industry was eager to work with the government to develop a regulatory mechanism to standardise regulations for the entire online skill gaming sector which would not only benefit the players but also add to government revenues while ensuring the sector’s potential growth. Speaking to UNI here, the CEO of the online gaming regulatory body, Sameer Barde welcomed the recent decision of the Karnataka high court revoking the blanket ban on gaming in the southern state. He said that with big players like the Mobile Premier League (MPL), Dream 11 etc., India was currently the world’s fifth largest online gaming market.
It is mainly owing to its young and tech-savvy population, increased internet penetration, and affordable smartphones. As per a recent report, gaming in India was sizeable at 1.5 billion dollar but yet less than one percent of the global share and expected to triple in size by 2025 on the back of the “mobile-first” phenomenon. ”Despite witnessing this massive boon, the sector has been clouded by the ambiguity of perception. There is also confusion between online skill gaming and gambling due to a lack of information. Some states have taken steps to ban online gaming, stemming from the thought that online gaming is gambling. On the other hand, games like online chess, rummy etc., have been found to be games of skill by various High Courts and the Supreme Court in India,” he said. Apart from the legality, while the contention, in all the banning instances, has been to protect consumers, what is concerning is the efficacy of such bans in achieving the same.
A state government banned online gaming in 2017, and then in 2020 an online gaming scandal with Chinese connections, amounting to Rs 1200 crores unearthed. State governments should introduce policies to regulate online gaming instead of resorting to blanket bans as such extreme measures would only benefit fly-by-night operators and boost illegal gaming activities leading to detrimental impacts on the very players the government seeks to protect. At a time when the industry is booming, a structured regulatory framework and online gaming policy defining the scope of law would help to legitimise online gaming in India, added Barde. He said that in a bid to facilitate and encourage the adoption of self-regulation, the EGF has created a standard structure in the form of a code of conduct for the smooth functioning of the online gaming ecosystem.
The not-for-profit organization, founded under the Societies Regulation Act, endorses ‘Responsible Play’ to protect gamers by allowing them to limit or cease playing beyond their means or for long periods. EGF-certified online gaming platforms offer responsible play features to the players that are intended to ensure a fair and safe online gaming experience while protecting players from any adverse consequences of online gaming. The federation also conducts auditing of its member companies before issuing certification to ensure a safe, transparent, and responsible environment for players. “We reiterate the recommendation to establish a joint committee to explore the setting up of stringent regulations to regulate the gaming sector as a whole and the Skill gaming sector in particular. The gaming industry is eager to work with the government to develop a regulatory mechanism,” he added.