Experts say the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which tries to boycott online gambling and betting, needs clarity and may face legal difficulties, especially over how authorities recognize an activity, website, or application as dangerous.

The bill, passed in the assembly on Tuesday, doesn’t determine which games or entities with betting/gambling components will be prohibited. In any case, authorities of the law division said that the new standards were probably going to influence some noticeable platform’s games identified with cricket and cards.

“The bill has characterized online games as those including all types of gambling, betting or wagering, including the type of tokens valued as far as money paid previously or after its issue, or electronic means and virtual currency, electronic transfer of funds regarding any games of chance,” clarified gaming master Deepak Vyas.
This, he added, doesn’t appear to be a coherent move, taking into account that comparable measures in the past were addressed in court.

The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), a self-regulatory industry body, said that however well-intentioned, the bill had caused disarray and uncertainty among legitimate organizations in the segment.

While the government’s interests — shielding individuals from online frauds and habit-forming parties — might be substantial, the bill seems, by all accounts, to be confused as it neglects to recognize firms with legal operations and platforms empowering betting and gambling. Referring to legal opinion, industry voices guarantee the bill negates decisions conveyed by courts.

“Skilled-based gaming couldn’t measure up to gambling, and restricting isn’t an answer. The Indian regulatory framework has separated between games of skill and games of chance. Since games of skill might include an entry charge or enrollment fee, they couldn’t measure up to gambling. Besides, all the online skill gaming platforms have state-of-the-art technology set up to guarantee capable gaming rehearses,” said Roland Landers, CEO of All India Gaming Federation.

Industry experts propose that rather than a boycott, the government should give norms to manage online gaming. They add that the sector can create occupations and assist the government with acquiring income.

Landers said the bill may scratch Karnataka’s standing of being the tech and startup capital. “India is the fifth-biggest online gaming market on the planet. skill-based gaming, the dawn sector, has been a solid supporter of the Indian economy, particularly Karnataka’s, in any event, during an unprecedented time of economic slowdown and it is relied upon to generate income of $2 billion by 2023,” he added.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Praveen Khandelwal, national secretary-general of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), said that the boycott would influence new startups, for example, Dream11, Nazara, MPL, Games 24×7, and Paytm First Games. As indicated by the CAIT, there are 623 gaming new startups in the country.

Recently, Tamil Nadu prohibited online wagering and betting alongside games of the skill whenever played for a bet, money, or different stakes. A court struck down parts of this law, expressing that a game can’t be viewed as gambling if the result is in one’s control.

“We will give clarity when we outline the guidelines in the wake of getting the governor’s consent. We have drafted the bill after studying the Madras high court’s decision and got amendments to nine sections and various subsections,” said home minister Araga Jnanendra.

He added that the government decided to boycott online games with gambling and betting components as numerous families had suffered due to their habit-forming nature.

Credits: The Times of India