Consult industry experts for legislation, say gamers

Tamil Nadu has consistently produced high-quality eSports athletes on a national level, and awareness on gaming has curated a large casual gaming franchise. This has, in turn, created a lucrative eSports market in the State, he said. 

“This boom can be attributed to the success of online games and mobile games, particularly that of PUBG. Prior to PUBG, there was not much focus on investors and publishers in the eSports industry in India. Following the surge in interest and rise in talent, many companies have come forward to sponsor athletes,” he said. According to Google-KMPG, the Indian online gaming industry is expected to reach $1.1 billion by next year and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 43 per cent as per a FICCI –EY report in this year. “Currently, the gaming industry follows a self-regulatory model which incorporates the necessary checks and balances to ensure sufficient protection of gamers. Regulating this sector can boost investment trends in states, create jobs and contribute economically,” said Roland Landers, CEO of the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF). 

Recently, the Tamil Nadu governor put forth an ordinance that banned online gambling. This regulation, according to industry players, is unclear in its wording and may spell for trouble for eSports athletes in the State. “The law states any betting through common gaming houses will not be allowed, but is unclear on what that means for my company, which has gaming houses for our members,” said Shekar, adding that the gaming industry is nuanced in its approach to causal and professional games and gaming habits. 

“What we fear is that many in the executive and legislature are not aware of the various subsects of the gaming industry, and are lumping together a lucrative part of the economy with unhealthy gaming habits in the current legislature,” he said. In order to assist with the current formation of legislature, which are outdated owing to the date of creating the framework and the rapid changes in the gaming space, industry experts state that some form of communication with industry players is key to creating a holistic legislature. 

“The restrictive amendments made by some State governments, including Tamil Nadu, have been made without sufficient consultation with the industry. Instead of removing/ banning games from the market, the government should seek to devise a regulatory framework in consultation with the industry stakeholders, which AIGF would be happy to provide,” said Landers.