MIB and MeitY set clear roles in regulating India's gaming sector: Sanjay Jaju

The Indian government has officially separated Real Money Gaming (RMG) from video gaming, responding to a long-standing call for distinction between entertainment-based gaming and pay-to-play platforms. This decision is expected to help the government create more focused and efficient policies for both the RMG and video gaming sectors, as reported by Moneycontrol.

“The content aspects are handled by us (MIB), because we understand this as a media entertainment business. The regulatory aspects are all handled by them (MeitY),” Jaju mentioned this during an interview with Moneycontrol at the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) 2024 in Hyderabad.

In July, a coalition of 70 video game studios and esports companies reached out to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), advocating for a clear distinction between video games and real-money games (RMG). They proposed that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) take charge of video game regulation, while creating two distinct categories—video games and RMG—within India's policy framework. This recommendation aims to enable more balanced and effective policymaking that aligns with global standards, addressing the key differences between the two sectors.

In December 2022, the government appointed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) as the lead ministry for overseeing online gaming, while the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was tasked with regulating the esports sector.

"What you see here (in this conference) is video games which are played by us and are completely legal... Video game development, or mobile game development is a very important element of the media and entertainment landscape of our country. It has a huge economic potential and employment potential... I think this distinction is very important," Jaju mentioned in a media roundtable.