New Delhi: The government is considering enforcing the ‘prohibition clauses’ first up, ahead of other sections, once the Online Gaming Bill gets President’s nod and is notified, IT Secretary S Krishnan has said, adding that work has, meanwhile, already commenced on drafting rules for the other provisions of the legislation.
Krishnan told PTI in an interview that the proposed rules in the works will provide a framework for promotion and regulation of e-sports and online social games, as well as the constitution of the regulatory authority envisaged in the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.
Parliament has passed the bill to ban all forms of games played with money, and promote e-sports and online social gaming, with the Rajya Sabha on Thursday approving it without debate amid din.
The government has asserted that online money gaming has become a serious social and public health issue, causing demonstrable negative impact on society. At the same time, the Centre has thrown its weight behind promoting e-sports and social gaming, and wants to position India as a global hub for game development.
“There is a social evil (around online money games) that the government has wanted to address (through the Bill)…And I think we need to respect that sentiment and make sure that we can do whatever work we need to do at the backend much more quickly,” Krishnan said.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT is gearing up for fast implementation once the presidential nod comes through.
“This is not legislation that we can allow to just stand on its own. We are examining whether it is possible to bring into effect the ‘prohibition’ ahead of other sections because in the Bill, there are no specific rules which have to be framed for that part. The only thing we have to do is notify the authorities who enforce,” Krishnan said.
Asked if the overall rules may be finalised in the next six months or so, Krishnan asserted that it will be much faster.
“I would not commit to a timeframe, but it clearly can’t wait as long,” Krishnan said, adding, “We have already started working on drafting the rules.”
On the fate of real-money gaming platforms engaged in sports sponsorships and as well as high-profile endorsements involved, Krishnan made it clear that the onus of compliance rests with the parties concerned
