Industry Calls for Intervention on Potential Gaming Ban

Indian gaming industry groups have contacted Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking intervention over a proposed bill to ban real-money skill games. They argue that such a move could devastate the industry, lead to job losses, and push users towards illegal platforms, while stunting India's digital innovation.

Industry groups representing India's online skill-gaming sector have made an urgent appeal to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding a draft Bill that aims to ban real-money games, including those based on skill.

In a letter addressed to the minister, the federations expressed concerns that the proposed legislation would severely damage the industry by causing job losses and driving users to illegal offshore websites.

Highlighting the current valuation and economic contribution of the sector, the bodies argued for regulatory measures rather than a blanket ban, emphasizing the risk of pushing users toward unregulated networks and said this could thwart foreign investment.

(With inputs from agencies.)