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EPWA requests Prime Minister Modi for comprehensive gaming regulations
The Egamers and Players Welfare Association (EPWA), which comprises members such as Asian Games esports medalist Tirth Mehta and prominent female gamer Zerah Gonsalves, has penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the letter, EPWA, representing 18,100 professional gamers, commended the Prime Minister’s approach to regulatory frameworks, emphasizing the need for measures to safeguard user interests and ensure a secure gaming environment, reported the Time of India. The letter highlights various concerns, including the use of deep fake technology, data protection, online abuse targeting children and women, and instances of gaming-related extremism, EPWA underscored the importance of addressing these issues. Additionally, the association raised concerns about offshore gambling websites, anti-money laundering violations, and taxation impacting gamers. EPWA proposed the integration of gaming regulations into a comprehensive legislative framework, advocating for measures to address content moderation, data privacy, age
PCI issues
caution to print media on
advertisements of betting and gambling platforms
restrictions, harm mitigation, and consumer protection. The association emphasized the importance of aligning gaming regulations with those governing other digital sectors to facilitate collaborative efforts and ensure consistency in regulatory oversight.
This initiative follows a constructive dialogue between the Prime Minister and leading Indian gamers, including EPWA’s Tirth Mehta. Prime Minister recently met a few of India’s top gamers, the meeting showed his interest in fostering growth and development towards the gaming industry and recognising its relevance. The Prime Minister had previously engaged with gamers to gather insights on fostering the sector’s growth and development.
AIGF CEO calls for strict measures
Roland Landers, CEO of the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), has urged the government of India to regulate offshore betting and gambling platforms. Landers emphasized the need for models like the Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) to be swiftly implemented to address this issue, reported Devdiscourse. He highlighted the impact of offshore companies and stated that these platforms operate without any official presence in India, leading to revenue losses for the national exchequer. The AIGF estimates that illegal offshore betting and gambling entities cause a loss of USD 2.5 billion to the country’s economy annually.
Lander’s concerns are also reported in an article in The Print. It mentions that these platforms often blend legitimate gaming with illegal betting and gambling activities, causing confusion among users. Such practices not only harm users but also undermine the credibility of
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the legitimate gaming industry in India. According to Landers, offshore entities capitalize on major events like the Indian Premier League (IPL) to market their platforms, enticing users with claims of no GST or TDS levied on their platforms. He stressed the need for measures to curb the spread of these illegal offshore platforms. Landers advocated for the establishment of the SRO by the government to differentiate between legitimate and illegitimate gaming platforms. While the government has proposed the formation of an SRO, Landers noted that the process has faced delays.
Several industry players have applied to set up an SRO, but Landers revealed that the AIGF has not received any updates on the status of their applications. He said the importance of collaborative efforts between the government and industry stakeholders to address the threat posed by illegal offshore betting and gambling platforms.
Sportingtech has partnered with Maltese iGaming supplier Darwin Gaming, to integrate its portfolio of mobile- friendly games.
Under the terms of the agreement, Darwin Gaming will add more than 60 high-quality online games, such as Luva Melhor do Mundo, Brasil Goool, and Crash Evolution, to Sportingtech’s robust iGaming platform, which already features more than 100,000 games from over 100 carefully selected games providers.
Robert Nevill, senior commercial manager at Sportingtech, said: “We are delighted to partner with Darwin Gaming to continue enhancing our online games portfolio in a time when trends and tastes are ever- changing
“We are confident that with Darwin Gaming’s mobile gaming expertise and its rich LatAm-themed releases, we will continue to thrill players with the new experiences they crave.”
Rui Pena, chief operating officer at Darwin Gaming, said: “Partnering with such a highly-regarded provider as Sportingtech is a vital step for us and we are pleased that our portfolio has found a home on their reliable, dynamic platform.
“Sportingtech prides itself on being able to diversify and customise its offering and with our products, I am certain this will be achieved.”
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