Online Gaming Bill was a necessity
By: Dr. Satyawan Saurabh
Since the digital revolution in India, the world of online gaming has been one of the most fascinating and controversial in the way mobile and internet have influenced people’s lives.
The increasing reach of smartphones, fast internet and the popularity of digital platforms among the youth have led to rapid expansion of this sector. But while on the one hand e-sports and skill-based games have put India on the world map, on the other hand trends like money-based games, betting apps and gambling have worried both society and the government.
In this background, the central government has recently approved the Online Gaming Bill. This bill is not only important from an economic and social point of view but will also determine the direction of India’s digital policy in the future.
This bill clearly states that any real money based gaming or online betting will be banned. Along with this, there is also a provision to ban the advertisement, promotion and financial transactions of such games.
This simply means that banks and financial institutions will not process transactions related to such games in any form. With this provision, the government wants to ensure that tendencies like gambling do not spread in the society due to greed for money.
But the biggest feature of this bill is that it promotes e-sports and skill-based non-economic gaming. The government has made it clear that it wants to promote e-sports as a sport.
In the coming years, an institution like the “National E-Sports Authority” can be established, which will work towards making e-sports India’s representative at the international level. This step will not only legitimize digital sports but will also provide opportunities to millions of youth who want to make gaming a career.
Another important aspect of this bill is that under this, the Ministry of Information Technology (MeitY) has been assigned the role of central regulator. The ministry will have the right to block unregistered or illegal gaming platforms. This arrangement has been made with the aim of protecting consumers from fraud and illegal activities.
Till now, the rules related to online gaming in India were different in different states. Somewhere it was considered legal and somewhere it was banned. In such a situation, making a national level framework was the need of the hour.
This bill is not just a document of rules and laws but there are deep social and psychological reasons behind it. In the last few years, it has been seen that addiction to online betting and real money games has ruined the lives of many young people. In many cases, people played by taking loans and families were destroyed.
Addiction to mobile games is also having a deep impact on mental health among children. The government also realizes that preventing this problem is as important as preventing drug addiction. Many experts have called it more dangerous than drug addiction because it directly controls the mind without any physical substance.
However, the industry’s view is completely different. The gaming industry says that this bill has put about two lakh jobs at risk and may also affect the GST revenue of twenty thousand crores rupees received by the government every year. Companies like “Dream11”, “Games24x7”, “Winzo” have been doing business worth crores of rupees for a long time. They say that if the domestic platform is completely banned, users will turn to foreign and offshore platforms, where there will be neither any control of the government nor protection of consumers. On the contrary, this will only cause losses.
Both sides of this debate have their own arguments. The government argues that it is important to protect society from gambling and drug addiction, while the industry believes that this sector is a big part of the country’s digital economy and eliminating it would be detrimental to both youth employment and innovation. The real challenge is how to strike the right balance.
Supporters of the bill say that this step will not only ensure social security but will also channel the energy of the youth in the right direction. By encouraging e-sports, India can win medals at the international level, as we have seen in badminton, wrestling or cricket. Apart from this, by promoting non-economic games, children’s entertainment will also remain within safe limits.
On the other hand, critics believe that the government should have chosen the path of “strict regulation” instead of “complete ban”. If money-based gaming was controlled under a license system and strict taxation, not only would the government get revenue but consumers would also be protected. The problem with a complete ban is that people will run towards underground or foreign platforms and the government’s control will become even weaker.
This debate is not limited to India only. Many countries of the world have different views on online gaming. In many parts of America and Europe, it has been legalized under strict rules and tax system. At the same time, countries like China have imposed restrictions on gaming time for children. India has not yet made any clear national policy in this direction, which is why confusion and inequality remained at the state level.
Now the question arises what will happen next? This bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha and it is possible that there will be amendments in it. In view of the concerns of the industry, the government can show some leniency. For example, “fantasy sports” can be considered a skill-based game and limited permission can be given. Similarly, there can be an agreement between the government and the industry through taxation and regulation.
But one thing is certain that this bill is an important milestone in India’s digital journey. It forces the country to think about how to balance technology and society. Technology in itself is neither good nor bad, its use makes it good or bad. If online gaming can give youth a career, employment and international recognition, then it is positive. But if the same gaming breaks up families, drowns youth in debt and promotes crime, then it is dangerous.
Therefore, it is important that the government, industry, society and family all come together to find solutions. Parents will have to keep an eye on their children, educational institutions will have to teach digital literacy, the industry will have to adopt self-regulation and transparency and the government will have to strike a balance between regulation and incentives.
The Online Gaming Bill is not just a law, it is the blueprint for the future of our society. It forces us to think whether we will allow the digital revolution to become just a means of entertainment and gambling or make it an opportunity for education, employment and global competition. It remains to be seen how this bill will be implemented in the coming years and what impact it will have on society. But one thing is clear that this debate will reach every home in India, because mobile and internet are now in every pocket and gaming is the choice of every age.
(The author is a Research Scholar in Political Science, University of Delhi)
