Govt Mulls Enforcing Prohibition Clauses Before Other Sections

Post Online Gaming Bill Notification

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NEW DELHI: The government is considering enforcing the 'prohibition clauses' first, ahead of other sections, once the Online Gaming Bill gets President's nod and is notified, IT Secretary S Krishnan has said, adding that work has, meanwhile, already commenced on drafting rules for the other provisions of the legislation.

Krishnan said that the proposed rules in the works will provide a framework for promotion and regulation of e-sports and online social games, as well as the constitution of the regulatory authority envisaged in the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.

Parliament has passed the bill to ban all forms of games played with money, and promote e-sports and online social gaming, with the Rajya Sabha on Thursday approving it without debate amid din.

The government has asserted that online money gaming has become a serious social and public health issue, causing demonstrable negative impact on society.

At the same time, the Centre has thrown its weight behind promoting e-sports and social gaming, and wants to position India as a global hub for game development.

"There is a social evil (around online money games) that the government has wanted to address (through the Bill)...And I think we need to respect that sentiment and make sure that we are able to do whatever work we need to do at the backend much more quickly," Krishnan said.