Need representation in Tamil Nadu's online gaming regulation committee: E-Gaming Federation

CHENNAI: The committee formed by the State government to examine the effects of online gaming should have the representation of the online gaming industry, according to E-Gaming Federation (EGF), an organisation representing skill-based gaming industry.

E-Gaming Federation CEO Sameer Barde told The New Indian Express that EGF backed the State government's move to regulate the online gaming industry but the government should form a joint-committee to explore the possibility of establishing a licensing regime to regulate the gaming sector as a whole and skill-gaming sector in particular.

The panel headed by retired judge K Chandru will give recommendations for the promulgation of an ordinance to regulate online gaming. Other panel members are B Karthikeyan, Secretary to Government (Legal Affairs); IIT-Madras professor Dr S Sankararaman; Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar, psychiatrist and founder of SNEHA Organization; and Addl DGP (State Crime Records Bureau) Vinit Dev Wankhede.

It should submit its recommendations within two weeks, which Barde feels is too short a time. Barde said currently there is no regulation in the State on classifying which online games come under 'Games of Skill' and under 'Games of Chance'. The recommendations of the committee should make the distinction, he said. 

The EGF is in talks with the Centre on bringing out a regulation on online games. Barde said the committee should come out with a regulatory structure that would address all the key concerns of the industry and government. "This would weed out the fly-by-night operators or entities from the State," he said.