India: AIGF calls for robust policy framework for online gaming
The All India Game Federation (AIGF) has urged Indian states to take a proactive approach to develop a robust policy framework for the online gaming industry.
India.- As online gaming continues to rocket in India, the All India Game Federation (AIGF) remains concerned about the lack of gaming regulation. The AIGF says e-sports and video games will play a major role in the Indian economy, citing a study predicting that the Indian gaming market will reach between $6bn to $7bn by 2025 up from the current $1.8bn.
PK Mishra, president of All India Gaming Federation, told News9: “India has more than 200 million e-gamers playing across more than 200 platforms. E-sports and e-gaming, under the umbrella of digital economy growth, are going to play an important role in the Indian economy.
“To encourage this, the e-gaming industry needs robust policy frameworks and digital infrastructure to foray towards being a global leader.”
Skill-based online gambling is legal in India, although there is no federal legislation and each state decides how it operates. This has led several states to try to ban online gambling. In February, the Karnataka state government‘s attempt to ban all forms of gambling in the state was overturned by the Karnataka High Court.
Last December, Sushil Kumar Modi, an MP at the upper house, Rajya Sabha, also said the government should regulate the industry. According to Modi, 43 million people in India play online games and the time spent on online gaming each week has increased by 60 per cent to four hours when compared to pre-pandemic figures.
