New Rules For Online Gaming:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has recently notified the final rules for online gaming.
- Every state in India, except Goa, Sikkim, and the Union Territory of Daman explicitly prohibits any sort of gambling, betting or wagering on games of chance.
- Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have placed restrictions on games of skill as well.
- The government will appoint multiple self-regulatory organisations (SROs) comprising industry representatives, educationists and other experts including psychology experts.
- It prohibits any game that involves betting and wagering.
- KYC verification is mandatory of online gamers of games involving real money.
- MEITY can also notify agencies to fact check false and misleading information related to government business.
- Intermediaries cannot host, publish or share any online game that can cause the user harm, or that has not been verified as a permissible online game by SROs.
- The intermediary will have to ensure that no advertisement or surrogate advertisement or promotion of an online game that is not permitted, is hosted on its platform.
- The intermediary will have to display a mark of verification by the SROs on such games; inform its users of the policy for withdrawal or refund of deposit, manner of determination and distribution of winnings, fees and other charges.
- The intermediary cannot give credit or enable finances by third parties to the users.
- The SRO can declare online real money games as permissible if it is satisfied that the online real money game does not involve wagering on any outcome.
- Permissibility will be determined with the simple principle of whether wagering is involved or not.
- It can inquire and satisfy itself that the intermediary and the game comply with the rules, the requirements under law are being competent to enter into a contract (currently at 18 years), and the framework safeguards against user harm.
- It can ensure that online game complies with the measures to safeguard through parental controls, age-rating mechanism, and measures to safeguard users against the risk of gaming addiction.
