Over 40 prominent Indian video game and e-sports companies have come together to urge the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to create a clear regulatory distinction between video games and real-money gaming apps. The group is aiming for a formal meeting with the ministry to propose rule-making and share their opinions and insights to better understand the medium before it affects the Indian video game industry at large. A letter of explanation signed by key industry figures has been sent to the Government of India that currently video games (played purely for entertainment) and online games played for stakes (real money wagering) fall under the same regulatory jurisdiction. The presentation was organized by Chennai-based Outlier Games, who are working on a mythical third-person superhero title called Deliverance.
“As the number of players in India grows and their preferences evolve, it is crucial that the rules evolve as well. We hope to see a clear regulatory distinction between video games and real-money games to ensure that there are top-notch protections in place for the roughly half billion gamers in India,” said Roby John, CEO and co-founder, SuperGaming in a prepared statement. The Pune-based studio first stepped into the limelight with a couple of mobile games – MaskGun and Stupid Royale – before the expansion into the personal computer Segment featuring Indus, a futuristic battle royale title heavily inspired by Indian culture.
A press release was issued jointly by the companies and features profiles from key individuals from studios including SuperGaming, Ludo King creators Gametion and Nodding Heads Games – the creators of nominees The Game Awards Raji: An old epic. In the press release, the group requested an audience with Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology and Skills Development, Rajeev Chandrasekhar. “Around the world, no-money online games played solely for entertainment are typically categorized as ‘video games’ and the industry that develops and publishes them is referred to as ‘gaming industry’ or ‘video game industry’ which Press release notes. In these countries, real money games or fantasy sports are subject to separate online gambling legislation, with the industry being referred to as the “iGaming Industry”.
“This distinction is so strong that no country in the world considers revenue from the ‘real money games played for stakes’ industry while preparing market research reports and analyzing data points such as revenue generation, taxes or user base,” the press release adds with that query The Indian video game industry has made three key recommendations, starting with creating a “regulatory distinction” between real video games and online games played for real money stakes. The companies have also addressed the government’s concerns regarding video games , which address addiction, violence and sexual issues, they suggest the latter can be addressed by creating an India-specific age and content rating mechanism, similar to PEGI in Europe and ESRB in the Global North.
As for combating video game addiction, companies have recommended putting in place a robust framework aimed at reducing the risk of in-game purchases and age-inappropriate content. “These framework conditions should also ideally be regulated by the industry-specific SRB for video games [(Software Rating Board)] in line with global standards such as COPPA in the US and GDPR in the EU,” the press release reads. In a separate document, the video game companies have also outlined some anti-addiction measures, such as: B. tracking activity reports and screen time and helping parents to prepare schedules.
Earlier this monthThe government proposed a self-regulatory mechanism, mandatory verification of players and physical addresses for online gambling companies in the country, which will fall under the new IT regulations to be issued in 2021. It’s the same change that introduces the actual video games and real money games in the same area of regulation that the aforementioned companies want to have a dialogue about.
