Betting on outcomes of games will not be allowed; rules expected in Feb: MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar

The minister said that as of now, all permissible online gaming will need to be registered with a self-regulatory organisation that will be accountable to the online gaming rules.

“As per the principles laid under the rule, wagering on the outcome of game will not be allowed. All online gaming companies will have to register with the self-regulatory body that will decide on the action required to be taken as per the rules,” Chandrasekhar said.

The objective of the rule is to grow the online gaming sector and encourage innovation, he added.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT published draft rules for online gaming companies and has invited comments on the same by January 17. The minister said he expects the online gaming rules to be ready in early February.

The government proposed a self-regulatory mechanism, mandatory verification of players and physical Indian address for online gaming companies, according to the draft online gaming rules published on Monday. Online gaming companies will be covered under the new IT rules that were issued in 2021 for social media platforms.

Discover the stories of your interest

The online gaming platforms are expected to comply with the laws of the land, including any such law that relates to gambling or betting or the age at which an individual is competent to enter into a contract.
“The draft amendments are aimed at addressing the said need while enabling the growth of the online gaming industry in a responsible manner,” the notice said.

“Self-regulatory bodies will be registered with the ministry (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) and may register online games of such online gaming intermediaries who are its members and which meet certain criteria. Such bodies will also resolve complaints through a grievance redressal mechanism,” the notice added.

(Illustration by Rahul Awasthi)