Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority cracks down on real money games with new rules
New regulations include restricting minors under the age of 18 from playing online real money games and blank hours prohibiting logins between midnight and 5 AM.
The Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA) has set new regulations governing real money games in the state.
These regulations include stringent laws for players of real money games such as a mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) verification to create an account to play online games.
KYC verification will be made mandatory for the initial login with Aadhar, which is to be authenticated by second layer verification of a one time password sent to the phone number linked with the Aadhar number.
Additionally, the rules also restrict minors under the age of 18 years from playing online real money games. Blank hours will be implemented for these games from 12 AM midnight to 5 AM IST. During this time period, no logins for these games will be allowed.
TNOGA is also targeting tackling addiction to online games in the state. It has mandated online game providers to display pop-up notifications when a player continuously plays for more than one hour. These messages will pop up at an interval of every 30 minutes.
A caution message stating, “Online gaming is addictive in nature,” will be displayed in the login page of these websites. Moreover, these games providers will provide facilities to fix daily, weekly, and monthly notary limits for each player.
These regulations come as the online gaming sector struggles with the rising GST on real money games, which has resulted in a rise in platform fees and slimming user bases, and subsequent margins for companies operating in this space.
While industry federation All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) welcomed the rules which had been formulated after extensive discussions with stakeholders, Roland Landers, CEO of AIGF said, “the biggest threat to players, the economy, and national security remains offshore illegal gambling apps, which operate outside Indian regulations and put users at risk.”
”Addressing this menace requires a collaborative effort between the industry and authorities to develop effective solutions. While some aspects of the new rules may require further deliberation by the industry to assess their operational impact, we look forward to continued engagement to create a balanced and progressive regulatory framework,” Landers added.
Edited by Jyoti Narayan