Lok Sabha Question No. 2338 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-21
Subject: Rules for Online Gaming Sector
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Devji Mansingram Patel, Rajkumar Chahar, Reddeppa Nallakonda Gari, Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre, Saikia Dilip

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2338

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2022

## RULES FOR ONLINE GAMING SECTOR

## 2338. SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL: SHRI RAJ KUMAR CHAHAR: SHRI N. REDDEPPA: SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM SHRANGARE: SHRI DILIP SAIKIA:

Will the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has formulated any rules and regulations for online gaming sector;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  administer  the  content  and  other  regulations  of  the  gaming platforms by enacting new rules under the IT Act; and
- (d) the total number of companies/entities engaged in online gaming with their details and their earnings from such gambling; and
- (e)  the  statutory  tools  Government  has  used  or  may  use  to  curb  this  increasing  menace  of  online gambling?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

(a)  to  (e):The  policies  of  the  Government  are  aimed  at  ensuring  an  Open,  Safe  and  Trusted  and Accountable Internet for its users. With the expansion of the Internet and more and more Indians coming online,  the  potential  for  Indians  being  exposed  to  online  game,  offered  by  online  gaming  platform intermediaries including online games that have information that is harmful or violates any law, has also increased. The Government is aware of the possible risks and challenges  associated with online games that have such information.

To  help  achieve  the  aim  of  making  Internet  Open,  Safe  and  Trusted  and  Accountable,  the  Central Government, in exercise of powers conferred by the Information Technology Act, 2000, has made the Information  Technology (Intermediary Guidelines  and  Digital  Media  Ethics  Code)  Rules,  2021. These rules  cast  specific  obligation  on  intermediaries,  including  intermediaries  offering  online  games,  to observe diligence and provides that if they fail to observe such diligence, they shall no longer be exempt from their liability under law for third-party information or data or communication link hosted by them. Such diligence includes the following:

- (i) To  make  reasonable  efforts  to  cause  its  user  not  to  host,  display,  publish,  transmit  or  share  any information that is harmful to child, causes incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence, relates to encourages gambling, or violates any law for the time being in force;
- (ii) To not host, store or publish unlawful information prohibited under law for the time being in force, on a voluntary basis on violation of the above, and on actual knowledge upon receipt of a grievance or court order or notice from the appropriate government or its agency;
- (iii) To have in place a grievance redressal machinery, and resolve complaints of violation of the rules within 72 hours of being reported;
- (iv) To provide, upon receipt of an order from a lawfully authorised government agency, information or assistance for prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution under law.

Information regarding the number and details of earning of companies/entities engaged in online gaming is not maintained by the Central Government.

*******