The All India Gaming Federation hosted the first installment of the “AIGF Knowledge Series,” which was sponsored by MPL, Spartan Poker, and Gameskraft, with Meghalaya serving as the Partner State. It wound up the two-day virtual occasion scheduled for April 7 and 8, 2022. Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma graced the event with his presence as the chief visitor and conveyed the inaugural address. This version is centered around Meghalaya and the new regulatory framework, legalities, and future of online gaming in the state.

In his debut speech, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma said, “I’m indeed exceptionally grateful to the All India Gaming Federation for having me here today.” Online skill gaming is a dawning industry as it has arrived at 1.5 billion US dollars in size and is expected to double in size by 2025. This industry is an immediate recipient of the Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi’s Digital India drive that began seven years back. The gaming industry overall has enormous potential to be an engine of development, work, and advancement across the world. We are glad to join forces with the industry through the AIGF Knowledge Series, with a focus on Meghalaya today and tomorrow. My team and I are anticipating hearing from domain specialists on prescribed procedures that we as a state can convey to fabricate a strong gaming environment in Meghalaya. ”

On the first day of the webinar, various famous speakers from the gaming industry spoke, as did different stakeholders, including civil servants and ministers. James Sangma and Government of Meghalaya commissioner and secretary for registration, taxation and stamps, and Government of Meghalaya commissioner and secretary for taxation, Sarika Aggarwal Synrem, MPL (Mobile Premier League) co-founder and CEO Sai Srinivas, former bureaucrat and Skill Games Council member Dr. Sutanu Behuria, and former bureaucrat and Skill Games Council member PK Misra, were among the speakers who shared their experiences on different significant subjects, including “Importance & Benefits Of Regulating This Sunrise Sector By States”, “Global Best Practices – Online Skill Gaming”, “Online Skill Gaming –Judicial Acceptance”, amongst other regulatory led topics.

Speaking at the event, All India Gaming Federation CEO Roland Landers said, “It is an incredible privilege to have the Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Conard Sangma grace us with his presence for this release of the AIGF Knowledge series.” If the framework is inclusive, Meghalaya as a state can possibly become one of the most moderate and huge markets for the gaming industry. The AIGF is more than happy to provide a platform where senior industry pioneers and domain specialists from the bureaucracy, legal, regulatory, business, social media, and investor backgrounds can meet up and have significant conversations that will go quite far in informing the future of this developing industry.

The second day of the webinar was power-loaded with insightful boards on topics like “Media Platforms and Online Gaming”, “Building Efficiencies in The Gaming Ecosystem”, “Life Skills and Online Skill Gaming” and a fireside chat on “Online Gaming Investors Session”.

Spartan Group co-founder and CEO Amin Rozani, Media Studies chief and Skill Games council member Prof. Farhat Basir Khan, Advertising Standards Council of India secretary general Manisha Kapoor, Paytm lead gaming Amit Yadav, Yes Bank senior group president Ajay Rajan, Cyber Laws MeitY senior chief, and group organizer Rakesh Maheshwari, AIIMS professor and head of the department of psychiatry, Dr.

“With such a power-packed AIGF Knowledge Series event, we are positive that the Indian online skill gaming industry will be seen in an alternate and dynamic light. Our point with this series is to start wise and riveting conversations across essential gaming subjects and, furthermore, collaborate with key states in the future for more noteworthy effort and awareness. I’m grateful to every one of the prominent speakers who contributed their bits of knowledge through different conversations on the online gaming scene and the potential it holds, “Landers added.

At the valedictorian addresses for day one and day two, respectively, Sarika Aggarwal Synrem and AIGF general secretary Sunil Krishnamurthy gave the valedictorian addresses. The event was planned to keep in mind the global crowd, who are quick to think about the advancements in gaming in Meghalaya, as well as stay up to date with the speed this industry has set across India.

The “AIGF Knowledge Series” is a cohesive module to start up discussions and raise awareness about the online skill gaming scene. The series will be held in a collaboration with various states in the country to encourage insightful and riveting conversations across essential gaming subjects through panel conversations and fireside chats by different domain specialists from the industry and gaming environment.

Key Takeaways from the Day One Conversations:

• With increased cell phone penetration and fast internet, Digital India is driving the online skill gaming industry.
• Creating an empowering climate will encourage an administrative system in the gaming sector.
• According to a state viewpoint, it has been seen that since the mid-2010s, states have been under a tonne of pressure relating to fraudulent, unlawful acts, and so forth. The administrative bodies, including the police, didn’t have the ability to actually manage online gaming. Subsequently, a blanket boycott appeared to be a practical choice at that time.
• Over the most recent couple of years, it has become clear that sweeping boycotts are not an answer and there is a need to control and acquire a self-guideline mechanism like the one rehearsed by the AIGF.
• There is a requirement for clarity with regard to tax assessment. Having a rational duty slab will bring about revenue generation as well as create a system where organizations in the sector can work effectively to maintain the business.
• When there is a guideline set up, the hazard of grey market administrators can be eliminated.
• Dependability in the field will help young gamers learn some useful digital skills and shape their careers in general.
• Various HCs have stated that online games of skill, regardless of whether they are played for a fee, are not betting, bringing business conviction to this industry.
• Meghalaya as of late emerged with the gaming guideline act and the essential justification behind it was that the state comprehends the capability of the gaming industry in a tourist-friendly state like Meghalaya.
• To protect players and the legitimate gaming industry, the government should collaborate with the AIGF.
• A game that requires a sufficient measure of information, skills, ability, and instinct to play ought to be considered as a game of skill and be directed under the law.

Key Takeaways from Day Two’s Conversations:

• Gaming today is going quicker than most media and is supposed to triple in size to about $4.5 billion by 2025.
• The media penetration has expanded. Over the last five years, India has added subscribers via Google consistently and has significantly increased its internet user base, adding trade and subscribers consistently in both urban and rural regions.
• Discussing the investment in infrastructure, we are the world’s second-greatest cell phone maker, consistently collecting 10 cell phones. Consequently, we see India as a mobile-first gaming market.
• Average month-to-month data in India is more than that of the US, which is 14 GB versus 11 GB for the US.
• Exceptionally intriguing patterns arise from the ascent of dominating matches. There is a possibility of various sorts of commitments, which will assist in pushing a tonne of development in the environment.
• There’s AR, VR, AI, data science, and innovation that will characterize what consumers take on, and there are an adequate number of experiences accessible that depict consumers embracing much more than whatever they used to do three years ago.
• The significance of a gaming organization having platforms like Facebook and Google today is basic for the sort of reach and the sort of web that are cost-effective compared to mainstream media channels.
• Basic perception for advancement needs to come with help from SM platforms, Metaverse, and requirements for exposition together to acquire the confidence and certainty of the consumers and the specialists.
• Gamification will disturb the sector. History shows that instructors used gamification as a mode to show students different subjects successfully.
• Online gaming has also been shown to improve overall psychological well-being. Compulsion isn’t directly connected with online gaming. There are numerous different variables that should be addressed.
• Games are used as a means of dealing with particularly difficult times in order to work on anxieties and a variety of other mental health issues, as well as to master important fundamental abilities.
• Online gaming has additionally given a platform to build significant connections.

Credit: Animation Xpress