Making India’s internet open and secure: Center announces final changes to IT rules for online gaming
The Ministry of Electronics and IT has announced the latest changes to the Online Gaming Information Technology Rules 2021 to protect the safety and confidence of “digital nagriks”.
“Online gaming is certainly a huge opportunity for India and young Indians. We see India’s online gaming ecosystem expanding and growing into a multi-billion dollar industry and a major catalyst for India’s target of a $1 trillion digital economy by 2025-26, with clear limits on online betting,” said union minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
The minister said the new guidelines are meant to deal with the problems caused by the proliferation of online gambling and betting services across the country. He said the guidelines have been created to ensure that India’s internet is open and secure, as well as reliable and accountable.
While internet gaming created a significant opportunity for start-ups, Chandrasekhar said there were doubts about legality, which the new guidelines sought to address. He added that online games that collect money and involve betting will be subject to the new online gaming regulations.
The new rules thus include the framework of several self-regulatory units (SROs). There will be many SROs and all stakeholders, including but not limited to industry, will participate in these SROs. It was also said that private companies have submitted SRO designs which are being discussed with them. The board reports to the SRO, and it is an independent entity.
“We will start with three SROs. If more are needed, we will get it,” Chandrasekhar said.
The SRO assessed whether all online games were permitted, basing its assessment on betting principles. However, in addition to the SRO, the government has also made KYC confirmation (Know your customer) important for online gaming.
All India Gaming Federation CEO Roland Landers lauded the government’s decision, saying it was a crucial first step towards comprehensive regulation of online gaming and will make the industry compete globally.
“These rules will go a long way in promoting consumer interest while helping the industry grow in a responsible and transparent manner and also help curb the menace of anti-national and illegal offshore gambling sites that have proliferated in recent years,” he said. .
He added, “We look forward to the industry’s transition to a rules-based self-regulatory model, drawing on lessons learned from years of work at the All India Skill Games Council (AIGSC), the oldest and largest voluntary online gaming self-regulatory body.”
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