Union Minister urges state and political parties for consensus to regulate online gaming and gambling

Stressing on the urgent need for regulation of online gaming and gambling, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said if states have consensus, the government would bring a central law to regulate online gaming and gambling.

“We, as very responsible lawmakers, should reach a consensus and have a Central Act which basically has been drafted in consultation with everybody and that Central Act should be effectively regulating online gaming and gambling” Vishnaw said.

The minister’s views came while responding to questions by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) MP T. Sumathy Thamizhachi Thangapandian in the Lok Sabha.

The Union Minister further stated that central law is required to regulate online gaming and gambling in the country as there is no meaning of ‘state boundary’ in the digital world. He also urged political parties to come on a common page.

According to the minister nineteen states and Union Territories have passed their own laws in this regard, while seventeen states have amended the Public Gambling Act and introduced sections against online gambling within it.

The minister claimed that the state boundaries have no meaning in the digital world, indicating further that the Centre will take the lead to formulate rules for online gaming and gambling.

Mr. Kumar lauded the Central government for treating online gaming apps and websites as intermediaries and bringing them under the intermediaries Act.

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In December last year, the Centre appointed the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology (MeitY) as the nodal ministry for online gaming. Last month, the MeitY released draft rules to regulate the content of online gaming while proposing a ban on betting and wagering.

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