Senior Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor has moved a private bill to regulate online gaming in India. The bill was unveiled in Lok Sabha for regulatory measures for the online gaming industry. An elected Lower House member from Trivandrum, Shashi Tharoor is eyeing on online games after the recent entry of big key players in the market.
Tharoor stressed the necessity of the bill by highlighting high growth of the gaming industry looking a few years back.
While introducing the bill, Tharoor said, “The main purpose of my bill is to preserve the integrity of sports. The bill is primarily divided into two parts for this purpose. One part recognizes the offence of sports fraud and prescribes a special procedure to deal with it. The other part acknowledges the fact that the increasing commercial nature of sports increases financial incentives for vested interests to manipulate sporting events, therefore it provides for the regulation of online sports betting activities.”
What does it mean?
The bill, if passed, will regulate, PUBG, PUBG-M, CSGO, DotA 2 and others which are considered as esports.
Tharoor said the country needs a regulatory body, like the one he has proposed, in his Sports (Online Gaming and Prevention of Fraud) Bill.
According to Tharoor, the bill will reduce the flow of black money and regulate a flow of finances in the industry.
The bill will also enable the government to oversee and ensure the players are in accordance with the Constitution and the Regulations at place.
Shashi Tharoor believed there is an immediate need for a statutory framework. This statutory framework needs to be supervised by the government in order to ensure that service providers follow licensing conditions and curb any illegal activity, in case it takes place.
A report by All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) says that India has 120 million gamers which include an increase of 30 percent. The 276th report of the Law Commission of India said that the present market Online gaming in India is reportedly valued at USD 360 million, and is expected to grow to USD 1 billion by 2021.
Since gaming in India is increasing, the Bill might get passed in the houses early than we expect!
