The center has proposed amendments to the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“the rules”) introducing the framework for regulating online gaming in India. Under the rules the definition of “online game” includes both the video games and the real money games (“RMG”).
Aggrieved by this, about 40 Indian video gaming companies including gametion , supergaming, outlier gaming have sent a representation to MeitY demanding a distinction between video games and real money games in the upcoming rules.
The video gaming companies argues that video games do not involve staking money, they are played for entertainment purpose whereas real money games involve staking money. Therefore, their should be crystal clear distinction between the two. They state that video games should be regulated by India specific age and consent rating mechanism which will be in line with global standards such as Pan – European Game Information (“PEGI”) in the EU and Entertainment Software Rating Board (“ESRB”) in North America.
Apart from this issue , children addiction to video games and age-inappropriate content will also be discussed in a meting between video gaming companies and MeitY.