Why India shouldn't blow the opportunity to lead the world in gaming

1. Why India shouldn't blow the opportunity to lead the world in gaming Online gaming regulation should be national, Senior Counsel Testifies in Court Senior Supreme Court attorney Gopal Jain makes the case in a recent article that "India's gaming sector urgently requires a unified, light-touch regulatory framework designed by the national government in order to unlock its genuine potential and thrive." Everything that exists entirely online, in the author's opinion, is by definition an interstate matter and falls under the purview of the central government. Additionally, according to the Information Technology Act of 2000, gaming websites are middlemen and as such are under the control of the Union Government. The Public Gambling Act of 1867, which was established to outlaw gambling and betting Id in public gaming establishments, as well as other antiquated state-level regulations on the subject, are ineffective in the age of digital technology. As a result, the Indian gaming industry is compelled to operate in an atmosphere marked by uncertainty and a patchwork regulatory framework nationwide.

2. Senior attorney Jain cites a number of recent decisions from high courts across the country as well as the Supreme Court concluding that fantasy sports are games of skill and are therefore protected by the Constitution. However, when blanket gaming prohibitions, including those over skill games, were enacted in the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the several court decisions pointing in the same direction proved insufficient. The outright bans sparked more legal action and were ultimately struck down as unconstitutional and disproportionate by the relevant high courts. Beyond Online Skill Gaming Regulation The urgent requirement for India is to put in place a thorough national regulatory framework in order to fully realise the potential of the domestic gaming industry to create jobs and generate tax revenues while also ensuring a secure gaming environment for the general public. It is a framework that must include all forms of real money gaming, including chance-based games, casino gambling, and online cricket betting, in addition to online skill gaming. India should take a cue from the national regulation and licencing regimes that developed economies around the world are increasingly adopting rather than putting obstacles in the way of the companies and forcing them to navigate a maze of regional laws and prohibitions, leaving Indian gamers at the dubious mercy of the black market. Why India shouldn't pass up the potential to lead the world in gaming | By 2023, the local gaming market is anticipated to reach $2 billion USD. Why India shouldn't blow the opportunity to dominate the world in gaming: Cricket betting One such example is Sweden, which on January 1, 2019, abandoned its state monopoly policy in favour of a regulatory structure that includes a national gaming authority and a licencing system. The decision was largely influenced by the surge of foreign bookmakers and gamblers who preyed on Swedish internet users. The nation intended to exert more control over the industry, raise tax revenues, and enact laws and other measures to actively safeguard the public and reduce the social cost of gambling. Sweden adopted a national self-exclusion programme and a set of responsible gaming guidelines for operators, following the global trend of putting a priority on gamer protection. With the help of the programme, all players could instantly ban themselves from all gaming platforms nationwide and from getting promotional materials. Other steps included the addition of a responsible gaming button to all gaming website pages, restrictions on using credit cards, fast-play choices for slot machines, loyalty programmes, restrictions on bonus offers, the ability for players to set a personal spending cap, and others. Regulations in Sweden also made match-fixing and cheating illegal and demanded that payments to unauthorised gaming platforms be stopped.

3. Denmark, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, a number of US states, Australia, and the Netherlands are among nations that have established a licencing framework with a focus on client safety. The Potential of India's Gaming Industry Senior attorney Jain draws attention to industry predictions that the local gaming sector would surpass $2 billion in value by 2023 and that there will be more than 40 crore gamers in India. As of right moment, Dream11, MPL, and Games24x7 are the three domestic gaming unicorns that have emerged in the nation. India is in a good position to become a global leader in the gaming industry, even if its total income is far less than that of the industry giants Microsoft, Sony, Tencent, and Nintendo ($90 billion), which are incomparably larger. Prime Minister Modi acknowledged this possibility when he said that Indian gaming firms might export titles based on Indian culture to the global digital market. To reach its full potential and establish a secure gaming environment for the populace, the country's gaming sector need a centrally located, contemporary, complete regulatory framework that extends beyond the element of skill.