State governments should introduce exclusive policies to regulate online games instead of resorting to blanket bans as such measures would only boost illegal gaming activities in the country, The Online Rummy Federation (TORF) has said. “However, a total ban on gaming will only help bad operators who promote underground and illegal gaming activities,” said Sameer Barde, CEO of TORF. Despite the ban, Telangana reported a massive illegal online gambling racket, worth more than ₹1,200 crore, run by a Chinese firm. When asked if Karnataka would introduce an exclusive policy framework for online gaming, Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan said: “We already have the Karnataka Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (KAVGC) Policy. As an industry matures, there is creative destruction and consolidation, and what is required is regulation and not ban.”Commenting on the business potential of the online gaming sector, Dinker Vashisht, vice president, Games 24x7, said, “Online gaming is a sunrise sector.

Source: The Hindu June 03, 2021 17:19 UTC