Indian Government Separates Games From Gambling Apps That Mislead Everyone, To Appoint Multiple Self-Regulatory Organisations

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is planning to allow several self-regulatory organisations (SROs) to determine if a real-money game should operate in India or not.

This was revealed by MeitY in a note drafted by the ministry on online gaming rules on April 6, as reported by Moneycontrol.

Real-money games regulation in India

The gaming and Esports industry is keeping close tabs on the upcoming online gaming rules which will go on to shape how gaming is regulated in the country.

Gaming and Esports have grown rapidly in India in the last couple of years but remain in their nascent stages due to a lack of proper regulation and rules.

MeitY has been engaged in discussions with various stakeholders including industry leaders, Esports players, lawyers, developers, publishers and more since January 2023.

Online gaming innovation and startups will get a huge boost while #DigitalNagriks will be protected from online betting. #OnlineGaming rules will act as a key catalyst for the online gaming startup ecosystem while ensuring safety of gamers including children, and unambiguously… pic.twitter.com/ykyGyLo5mH

— Rajeev Chandrasekhar ???????? (@Rajeev_GoI) April 6, 2023

“These rules don’t deal with all the sophistication into what is game of chance or game of skill,” said Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a press briefing.

He added, “You don’t have to go to SRO if you are only a gaming company, but only when there is money involved in the game.”

Chandrasekhar informed that they will begin by notifying three SROs and would notify more later. He also mentioned that SROs will get to decide “what is addictive, what constitutes user harm. We are not going to prescribe any of it as it will evolve.”