Friday , March 29 2024

Startup Industry Association Asks Govt To Set Up Rules For Mobile Gaming

Amid the scare of mobile game addiction among youth, a startup industry association has requested the central government to draw up rules for online gaming In India, along with age- and genre-based classifications.

IndiaTech which have companies like Mobile Premier League and Dream11 has written to Information and Technology (IT) Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to frame rules similar to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), a self-regulatory body that assigns age and content ratings to online video games in the United States (US), Mexico and Canada.

Amid the addiction concern, the body also asked for the implementation of rules and regulations like AI-based interventions to monitor and restrict addictions and limits on the amount of money that gamers can spend and win. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education also circulated advisories amid the ongoing situation. The ministry said that “playing online games leads to a serious gaming addiction which has been considered as a gaming disorder.” 

The online gaming industry has also been under fire in several states, especially IT hub Karnataka. The Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act, 2021, which came into effect on October 05, banned online games of chance. 

This step caused a stir in the entire industry as many fear that the move by the Karnataka government may hamper the image of Bangalore as it is a hub for unicorns. The gaming industry is also concerned that the overall gaming ecosystem of India can get affected by introducing a law not prohibiting online real money skill gaming in its State.

Also, the Bengaluru police filed an FIR against Dream11 founders on a complaint for violating the new law. After that, the online fantasy gaming company suspended its operations in the state.

Earlier, Rajya Sabha member and senior BJP chief Sushil Kumar Modi demanded that the federal government should regulate the online gaming industry and impose a uniform tax on it. Raising the difficulty throughout the Zero Hour, he stated these online video games have now given strategy to playing and betting.

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