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States frame laws to regulate online gaming in absence of central policy

Economic Times · 7m

The absence of a self-regulatory mechanism for online gaming in India has led to multiple regulatory efforts at both the state and central level. States like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are working on laws to control online real money gaming, while the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is consulting on a proposed National Broadcasting Policy that includes a regulatory framework for online gaming. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had initially proposed self-regulatory organizations (SROs) to regulate the sector, but these were not approved, resulting in the emergence of various regulatory measures by states. The lack of clear regulations has sparked ethical debates and interpretations about the nature of online gaming activities. Industry representatives are urging for the operationalization of amended IT rules and the need for regulatory clarity and consistency.