Draft Guidelines for Online Gaming, Self-regulation proposed

Draft Guidelines for Online Gaming

In a draft change of IT rules, the government proposes self-regulatory organizations for international online gaming companies operating in India, but it will not permit betting. The draft online gaming guidelines released on Monday included steps to protect consumers from the risk of gaming addiction and financial loss as well as user authentication.

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Self-regulation proposed for Online Gaming

• Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, stated that self-regulatory organizations will create the filters and tests necessary to determine what gaming is acceptable, whether it be a game of chance, a game of skill, or anything else, during a briefing on the proposed guidelines.
• The proposed amendments provide that an online gaming intermediary must adhere to the rules when performing its obligations, including making reasonable efforts to prevent its users from hosting, displaying, uploading, publishing, transmitting, or sharing an online game that is in violation of Indian law, including any law pertaining to gambling or betting.
• According to the premise outlined in the proposed guidelines, online gaming organisations would not be permitted to place bets on the results of games, according to Chandrasekhar.

The proposed regulations advise companies to take additional precautions, including displaying a registration mark on all online games licenced by a self-regulatory organisation (SRO) and informing users of their withdrawal and refund policies, how winnings are calculated and distributed, fees and other costs due, and the KYC process for user account registration.

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Online Gaming: Safety of Children and Women

• The minister stated that more specifics regarding the demand for kid verification would become clear after the consultation is complete.
• Additionally, it has been suggested that the chief compliance officer of the gaming company be a senior employee or key member of the management team who resides in India, and that the online gambling platform disclose a physical address in India on its website or mobile application.
• Comments on the draught are being sought by the Ministry of Electronics and IT until January 17.
• The government has received input indicating that there is still much work to be done to make online gaming secure for women, according to Chandrasekhar, who also mentioned that he has learned that 40–45% of players are female.

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Important Takeaways

• Minister of State for Electronics and IT: Rajeev Chandrasekhar