Telangana’s IT secretary weighs in on real money gaming regulations at IAMAI event – MediaNama.com

We are treading cautiously when it comes to [online] gaming, Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce (I&C) Department & Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (ITE&C), Government of Telangana, said, referring to online betting and wagering platforms. Blanket banning is not a solution, one needs to have a distinction between games of skill and games of chance. The pushbacks from law enforcement and other agencies are largely driven by games of chance. We cannot rule out that certain things cant be manipulated, the need is to understand how we navigate the regulatory framework, we also need to dive deeper and find a middle path We are taking certain steps in Telangana, but want to ensure that these are not challenged by courts or lead to public outcry, he added.

Ranjan was speaking at GATO21, an event organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). His remarks come even as Andhra Pradesh, Telanganas neighbouring state, banned all forms of betting and wagering in the state. Telangana appears, from Ranjans remarks, to prefer that games of skill continue to operate under restrictions and regulations that wont be struck down by the courts, like what happened with Tamil Nadus law. But there is some movement in the state government Ranjansaid in a different event on August 25 that the Telangana government is working on a self-regulation framework for online real money gaming platforms.

Centrally, it would help if the Central Government recognises certain games of skill and legislates over them. We can replicate some global models too where one needs to obtain a license to operate the games under specific conditions, saidBhavin Pandya, Co-Founder and CEO, Games24x7.

Pandyas wish may just come true: as MediaNama reported exclusively, the central government is exploring a uniform approach to regulate online gaming and gambling.

Both states and the central government are somewhat powerless in regulating betting and gambling platforms online; apps and websites can only be blocked by the central government (something the IT Minister clarified in a letter to Andhra Pradeshs Chief Minister), and the central government cant block these platforms because constitutionally the power to regulate betting and gambling rests with the states.

As explained by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology recently, different states have different approaches. Most states legislations dont cover online gambling, as these laws are older than the internet. But states that tried prohibiting betting and gambling apps instead of setting up a licensing framework may suffer setbacks; the Madras High Courts striking down of Tamil Nadus law, based tightly on Supreme Court precedent, may leave states powerless in how they approach these platforms.

Judicial setbacks arent stopping states from trying to outlaw real money gaming, skill-based or chance-based: Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh appear to be moving towards a ban on online betting platforms. While Uttar Pradeshs proposed law has loose exceptions for games of skill, Karnataka only exempts horse racing.

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Telangana's IT secretary weighs in on real money gaming regulations at IAMAI event - MediaNama.com