In the state of Karnataka, in southwest India, a ban has been proposed – one that can set back the whole gaming industry.
A couple of weeks ago, this state proposed a ban on all online games which involve betting and wagering. The reason for making this kind of proposition is influenced by young people from rural areas of Karnataka. The state is worried they can become addicted to casino games due to its unproductiveness in the villages. Said in the simplest manner- boredom can push them into addictive gambling .
If the proposed ban becomes law, large gaming platforms such as Dream11 can suffer a hard impact on the budget.
In the Indian gaming scene, there are two kinds of games: Skill games, and games of chance. Playing skill games requires analytical capabilities, while games of chance are just pure luck.
Dream 11 offers skill-based games, which means that players need to be well-equipped with information, before placing any bets. Relevant data such as career statistics, strengths and weaknesses of players, career forms, and similar, needs to be collected prior to placing a bet.
Potentially Addictive
Nevertheless, Karnataka State considers this kind of analytical gaming dangerous and potentially addictive for young people.
Shivani Jha, Director of eSports Players Welfare Association, is against the possible ban. She added that playersare not risking money to win an uncertain event while playing skill-based games.
“There is the clear distinction that needs to be drawn between games of skill such as bridge, eSports, and games of chance”, said Roland Landers, CEO of All India Gaming Federation.
Landers is reminding the government that this potential ban can be a massive setback for the whole Indian gaming industry and jeopardize the state’s reputation of being a tech hub.
According to Landers, online gaming is an important contributor to the Indian economy, so it’s not justified to bring this kind of ban.
Thousands of workers from gaming corporations are very worried about the outcome of this story, too. 91 gaming firms are located in the Indian state of Karnataka. Altogether, they employ around 4000 people, who can, if this proposal becomes a law, lose their jobs.
Source: Narayan, Niji . European Gaming. October 5, 2021.
