India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has drafted a new set of rules to regulate online gaming in the country, including the proposed formation of an Online Gaming Authority of India headquartered in Delhi-NCR.
The proposed measures – which are currently open for consultation and outline provisions to encourage esports and social gaming alongside mechanisms to categorise, register and monitor platforms – mark a sharp U-turn from India’s recent outright ban on real-money gaming.
At the centre of the suggested framework would be the formation of the Online Gaming Authority of India, which would include senior representatives from ministries overseeing broadcasting, youth affairs, financial services and technology.
This new body would be responsible for deciding whether a game qualifies as a money game, esports or social game and subsequently managing its registration.
Having these distinctions in place is seen as being a significant milestone for the industry because the draft also seeks to formalise esports as a competitive category that will be overseen by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport – a decision industry leaders believe would legitimise esports as being on par with traditional sports in the country.
Under the new guidance, operators of esports and social gaming platforms would be required to register each game with key details such as revenue models, age restrictions and safety features, which Nodwin Gaming co-founder, Akshat Rathee, believes would “create a framework for structured growth” that could drive grassroots programmes and increase sponsorship potential.
Additionally, the framework would also introduce multiple levels of grievance redressal for players, starting with the operators themselves before moving on to the Grievance Appellate Committee and ultimately the Gaming Authority.
Any failure by gaming companies to comply with these procedures would then potentially lead to penalties such as licence suspensions and further prohibitions.
As of now, India’s ban on real-money gaming remains in effect, but the proposed rules indicate a fresh intent from the government to formalise and regulate the country’s gaming ecosystem.
The post MeitY releases draft rules to regulate online gaming first appeared on EGR Intel.
India pivots from recent ban on real-money gaming as the country’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology outlines new provisions to encourage esports and social gaming
The post MeitY releases draft rules to regulate online gaming first appeared on EGR Intel.