Asia
Esports athletes & Gamers met Hon’ble MOS (MeitY) Shri Rajeev Chandrashekhar to review online gaming rules
Led by Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Minister of State for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, MeitY held a very meaningful & successful consultation with children, parents, teachers, esports athletes, gamers, and safety and trust organizations on the proposed amendments to the IT Rules 2021 in relation to online gaming on Wednesday 11th Jan at Electronics Niketan, MeitY office, New Delhi.
Distinguished Esports athletes, Tirth Mehta (Asian Games’18 Bronze Medalist), Karman Singh Tikka (Team India – Esports, Asian Games’22), Dhruv Salvadi and Snehil Ahirwar alongside Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and Board Member & VP, Asian Esports Federation were part of the prominent group present at the discussion and gave their fundamental insights & suggestions on the matter. Shri Priyank Kanoongo (Chairperson – National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) was also present at this meeting.
Professor (Dr.) Tejpavan Gandhok (Vice Dean – JGBS, Associate Director Centre for Sports Law & Governance, Jindal Global University) highlighted “We suggest using different terminology and/ or clarifying the current draft’s definition of ‘online games’ – to better cater for 4 distinct segments of games: Real money; Casual; Esports; and learning. Also, the best practice safeguards to be adopted by the proposed guidelines should be appropriately tailored for these 4 distinct segments”
According to MeitY’s Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021 in relation to online gaming, “online game” means a game that is offered on the Internet and is accessible by a user through a computer resource if he makes a deposit with the expectation of earning winnings.
Raising a crucial query on this point, Dhruv Salvadi (an avid gamer who recently graduated from Manipal Institute of Technology) said, “Multiple esports tournaments organised at college or ground level at times require a registration fee in order for the athletes and teams to compete in it whereupon the winners are presented with prizes which may be in cash and/or kind. This rule can create confusion among the public regarding such Esports tournaments/championships Hence clarity is needed in the definition of ‘online gaming’, he was also of the same opinion that instead of ‘online gaming’ it should be ‘igaming’ so as to establish a clear difference between Esports (which is sport and played electronically) and igaming”
Dhruv further pointed out “Also, for video games that charge users to use their products or contain microtransactions, will all online video game developers need to get KYC for their users?” to which Rajeev ji said, “e-KYC is mandatory for all financial transactions”.
Further, expressing his opinion on the need for differentiating between video gaming and online gaming, Lokesh Suji also a former esports athlete who participated in Call of Duty World Championship – 2018 (New Orleans) said, “The worldwide & dictionary meaning of ‘online game’ is “electronic game played over a computer network, particularly over the Internet”, whereas the draft has added “deposit with the expectation of earning winnings” to this, and is confusing for the public at large. Since these amendments are to regulate fantasy, teen patti, poker, rummy, betting, gambling etc., instead of calling them ‘online gaming’ we should define them as ‘igaming’ the way the rest of the world has defined them.”
This enlightening meeting will play a crucial role in the proposed amendments for the IT Rules related to igaming and propel the industry to remarkable heights.
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Onlyplay has entered into a strategic partnership with online casino and betting company Ritchie Rabbit within the Asia region.
Ritchie Rabbit is said to have “extensive expertise and deep understanding of the Asian market,” which helps Onlyplay as it seeks to expand its presence in the region.
Through this deal, Onlyplay will introduce a range of games and features designed specifically for the Asian gaming community.
Onlyplay offers a wide range of games such as instant win, slots and crash games, and will now provide games for players in Asia.
Christina Muratkina, CEO of Onlyplay, said: “It is a great pleasure for us to develop the Asian region alongside Ritchie Rabbit. We recognize the immense potential of the Asian market and are committed to delivering top-notch gaming content and experiences to players in the region. This partnership represents a significant step forward in our efforts to offer innovative and engaging games that resonate with our Asian audience.”
The post Onlyplay Enters into Strategic Partnership with Ritchie Rabbit appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Hub88 has partnered with live casino supplier LiveGames, further strengthening its product offering by adding a unique range of content to its platform.
LiveGames provides fully customisable online live dealer games and branded tables including the first vertical roulette table in the sector, along with crash games and the widely played Tombola.
The supplier delivers experiences with a player-focused design, easy to use mobile interface, and high-resolution broadcasts.
The partnership will support LiveGames’ goal to further expand in international markets, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America where Hub88 has a strong presence.
The deal showcases Hub88’s commitment to grow its ecosystem of partners, offering a diverse portfolio of products and content.
Ollie Castleman, Head of Hub88, said: “We’re thrilled to unveil this strategic partnership with LiveGames which sees us add a great provider to our platform, one that utilises modern technology to offer bespoke and personalised gaming experiences to players.
“We are looking forward to collaborating and strengthening our content library with their diverse games.”
The LiveGames Team said: “Our journey started in a small studio and as a team, we are excited about now expanding to every corner of the world together with Hub88 and their extensive operator network.
“We are committed to promoting innovation in the industry and this partnership will support us on that mission.”
The post Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has chaired a limited meeting which discussed the efforts taken to eradicate online gambling in the country on Thursday 18 April, at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Budi Arie Setiadi, in his press statement after the limited meeting, said that the Government will form a task force to counter online gambling.
“It has been decided that within a week, we will formulate measures to form an integrated task force in order to eradicate online gambling,” Budi said.
Minister for Communication and Information Technology mentioned that forming a cross-ministries/institutions task force is aimed to handle online gambling more thoroughly, collaboratively and efficiently.
“Gambling is an illegal act based on regulations. So, we need to impose measures effectively to settle it,” Budi stated, adding that his ministry will focus on handling online gambling websites and contents, while the law enforcement officers will enforce the law.
“Our authority is only to take down the websites, while the Financial Services Authority (OJK) blocks their financial accounts, and then followed by law enforcement officers, police officers, and the public prosecution service officers,” he remarked.
Similarly, OJK’s Chairperson of Commissioner Board Mahendra Siregar also highlighted the importance of holistic measures in eradicating online gambling in Indonesia.
“Some online gambling activities are not conducted in Indonesia, some are cross-borders, some do not use bank accounts, some needs to be tracked and traced through bank accounts, including transfers and so on. So, the next layers must also be addressed, and that way it leaves no empty rooms,” Mahendra explained.
Mahendra said that according to the institution’s authority, from the end of 2023 to March 2024, OJK has blocked around 5000 bank accounts that indicate its relation to online gambling.
“So far, we have cooperated closely with Communications and Information Technology Ministry. So, if we receive a list of bank accounts suspected to be used or are being used in online gambling activities, we immediately block them, and it has reached up to 5000 bank accounts,” Mahendra mentioned.
The post Indonesian Govt to Form Task Force to Tackle Online Gambling appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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