There's Political Consensus on Money Game Ban

The government's move to ban online games came as a surprise for many.

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In an interview with Rakesh Kumar of TNIE, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) S Krishnan explains the rationale for the move.

Excerpts:

What prompted the sudden ban on online money gaming?

I wouldn't call it a sudden ban. The government had been reviewing this policy for quite some time. I think the people in the industry were aware that the policy was under review. If you recall, the amendments to the IT Rules were notified in April 2023, which included a provision to create Self-Regulatory Bodies (SRBs). But the rule itself stated that until at least three SRBs are recognised by the government, the rules would not come into effect. No SRBs were recognised. A clear indication was given to the industry that this is under review. So, to say that they were caught by surprise wouldn't be fair.

There has been a fair amount of political consensus. Many members of parliament and other public representatives have repeatedly raised concerns about the menace of money games.

Companies are saying they were not consulted. Was there any consultation?