Tag: Online Gaming

Pahle India Foundation (PIF) appeals to GOM on Online Gaming’ ahead of its 1st meeting, to review existing Lottery Regulations

Pahle India Foundation (PIF)

New Delhi, 14 December: Pahle India Foundation (PIF) appeals to the ‘GOM on Online Gaming’ ahead of its 1st meeting, to review existing Lottery Regulations as well. Pahle India Foundation (PIF) welcomes the Government of India’s decision to constitute a Group of Ministers (GOM) to review the regulatory framework for the Online Gaming Industry.

As the GoM meets for its first meeting on the 15th Dec under the chairmanship of the Hon’ble Union Home Minister, PIF would like to appeal to the members of the GoM to also review the existing regulations on ‘Lottery’ and bring necessary reforms.

PIF has recently concluded a study titled ‘Lottery in India – A Study on Regulatory Framework and Potential for Social Funding’ where it has reviewed the existing regulations on Lottery in the country and has identified major gaps. PIF recommends an urgent review of the 25-year-old regulation in light of the increased internet penetration in India in the last few decades, and the absence of player protection and minimum age criterion in the existing rules. The offshore online lotteries operating outside the jurisdiction of the Indian regulatory apparatus pose significant challenges and demand urgent attention.

PIF has also done a comprehensive review of the operational processes and the financial models followed by the Indian States where a lottery is currently allowed and operational. In such states also, there is an urgent need for reforms to bring transparency using technology, and adopt best practices to ensure child safety and player protection.

PIF has also reviewed lottery ecosystems in countries like the UK and explored the sector’s potential for social funding in India. Pahle India Foundation is a New Delhi-based economic think tank founded by Dr Rajiv Kumar in 2013. Its motto is ‘Putting India First to Make India First’. PIF has done in-depth research on ‘Online Gaming’ as well as ‘Lottery’. Its reports ‘A Regulatory Framework for the Online Gaming Sector’ and ‘Lottery in India.

Top 5 Indian Online Gaming Startups That Will Enter 2021 with a Bang

Top 5 Indian Online Gaming Startups That Will Enter 2021 with a Bang

The ongoing pandemic jeopardized the standard word order. The sudden changes in our lifestyles have taken most of us by surprise. And yet, some of them come with their fair share of upsides. One such area is online gaming. The pandemic has proved to be a boon for Indian gaming startups. Startups such as Dream11, WinZO and Paytm First Games, etc. witnessed a huge spike in user engagement and traffic during the lockdown, as gaming was the only option left as a source of entertainment. Moreover, playing with friends and family members gave the players a feeling of community.

The Indian online gaming market is poised to grow to $1 billion by 2021, according to a Google-KPMG report. A young population, access to the internet and entertainment-seeking behaviour of the millennials are the key factors driving online gaming in a country. Gaming companies in India are consistently making exceptional contributions to the gaming development markets in India and globally as well. The demands of interactive games are on the rise, which is helping gaming companies to turn the tables on their side.

Here’s a list of a few of the emerging online gaming startups that are connecting the world through interactive gaming experiences and are all set to enter 2021 with a bang:

1) Fantasy Akhada – Fantasy Akhada is a Fantasy Gaming Startup Company based out in Gurgaon which has received various angel funding from the top most investors in the field of gaming. It provides you with one such platform, covering Fantasy Cricket and Fantasy Football, where you can come, play, and win exciting contests and wear the pride of beating the best in the country on your sleeves. And while you do all this, you are getting an opportunity to make real money too. Fantasy Akhada recently appointed Harsha Bhogle as their brand ambassador cum investor in September 2020.

2) Indian Gaming League (IGL) – IGL was created by a team of gamers who strongly feel that Indian players need a stage to jump-start their gaming careers. Participating on IGL will not only give amateur and professional gamers the ability to earn some serious cash but also top tier gamers will receive an opportunity to compete with other professionals on a national level! If you want to level up your life and make a career playing your favourite games, IGL is here for you. Keep an eye out for tournaments updated daily.

3) PokerDangal – PokerDangal, an India-based leading online Poker playing platforms is a flagship product of Xeta Networks Pvt. Ltd. Established in 2017, it has completed its third year and this year it has engrossed their customers yet again with a safe, reliable and fun ecosystem along with a completely hassle-free gaming environment. The company is equipped with all required technology certifications and adopts the best of security measures to provide its players with a totally secure payment gateway with multiple options for deposits. One of the biggest drawbacks of any online gaming platform is the community feeling, the feeling of belongingness.  Keeping that in mind PokerDangal has created an offering of Private Tables on its platform where you can chat with your family or friends and can play the game together.

4) 9stacks – 9stacks is the best online poker platform, and chosen poker destination for new, as well as regular poker players in India to have fun, develop poker skills and win money. 9stacks is a professionally run Indian online poker platform and 100% legal in India. As a highly reliable, safe and trusted poker site in India, it processes the fastest cashouts when you win money on 9stacks. Both the 9stacks website and the 9stacks app have an easy-to-use intuitive interface which enables you to play online poker seamlessly, on your phone or computer; anytime, anywhere. 9stacks recently appointed Suresh Raina as its brand ambassador.

5) The Esports Club (TEC) – TEC is an esports tournament platform which was founded in 2019 by Vamsi Krishna and Ishaan Arya. It has been created to power esports experiences at the grassroots level in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The entire team behind The Esports Club eats, sleeps, and breathes gaming. Together its members have 40+ years of experience in gaming, esports and marketing. The company’s platform is designed for tournaments, news updates & interaction. Gamers can quickly sign up and compete in a variety of competitions. They can participate in long events, short events, casual events, or semi-professional or professional tournaments.

rummy

Online Rummy Industry In Full Support Of Regulating Online Gaming

This is further to the recent statement made by the Additional Advocate General (AAG) Mr. M. Sricharan Rangarajan informing the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that the State Government was actively considering regulating the online skill gaming sector. While The Online Rummy Federation (TORF) welcomes this progressive initiative by the government, we want to ensure that any new regulation is not prohibitive and builds in protections for consumers and operations of legitimate operators.

The government is worried about the recent suicide reports related to online gaming. These recent events are of grave concern to TORF and its members. Over the last two years, TORF members have taken extraordinary and voluntary steps to self-regulate and give players the tools to play responsibly.

Key areas include

o   KYC verification

o   Minimum Age

o   Player Protection requirements,

o   Mandatory Responsible Playing features like setting daily monthly limits, self-exclusion etc.

o   Advertising guidelines,

o   No BOTS on sites

o   SSL level encryption

and other such requirements to ensure the player experience is Safe, Fair and enables responsible gaming.

We strongly feel that the Government should regulate this sector to ensure only legitimate, legal operators who follow strict protocols are allowed to operate and a clear distinction drawn from those who try and operate above the law. Tens of thousands of players from Tamil Nadu enjoy playing online rummy safely and responsibly. Effective regulation will let the vast majority of the players who play responsibly continue to enjoy the game, protect the players that are vulnerable, and lead to substantial additional revenues for the government.

Jurisdictions around the world that have chosen prohibitive measures over-regulation have had to deal with a large underground economy. A case in point is the recent INR 1,000 crore gambling scam in Telangana which surfaced after it chose to ban skill gaming in 2017. In the absence of regulation, and in case of any prohibitive action that doesn’t draw a clear line between legitimate skill gaming and illegitimate operators, the government would unintentionally exacerbate the problem it is trying to solve by encouraging uncontrolled illegal online gaming.

The Government of Tamil Nadu should set up a committee to review, discuss and propose a regulatory framework for games of skill similar to Nagaland and Sikkim. A discussion for a proposal to regulate this industry can address many concerns including the following key points:

  1. Setting time and monetary limits for players on a daily/weekly/monthly basis;
  2. Stronger KYC checks & social profiling of users to ensure that players are financially stable adults
  3. Strict advertising standards to promote gaming as entertainment and not a way to earn money
  4. An annual license fee and a player support contribution to help vulnerable players

TORF is committed to provide its full support to the government in creating a safe and responsible gaming industry. We have already made an official representation to the Honourable Chief Mister to kindly consider regulating the sector as a win-win solution.

Sameer Barde

CEO,

The Online Rummy Federation (TORF)

M: +91 99101 39000

E-mail: sameerbarde@torf.org.in