The government of India is considering a bill that would—for the first time—introduce a regulatory infrastructure for online gaming in the country.
The only federal legal action so far regarding online gaming was a ruling by the Supreme Court that skill-based gambling is allowed in the country.
The bill, which is called the Online Gaming (Regulation) Bill, 2022 would provide consumer protection while imposing a regulatory structure. It would create an Online Gaming Commission, which would oversee online gaming sites, punish illegal operators and grant or suspend licenses.
It would also be tasked with writing rules related to licenses, keep track of operators and lists of persons not allowed to play online.
The bill has drawn fire from critics who say it doesn’t differentiate between casual gaming and gaming for money.
One critic declared, “In its current form, the Bill appears to be scanty. Notwithstanding the ‘suspect’ constitutionality of the Bill, considering gambling being a state-subject, it remains to be seen whether there is enough political will to take this Bill forward.”
Several states have tried to ban all forms of gaming, only to be stopped by the courts.
