Talk of ban worries gaming community

Many in important positions on’t make the distinction between gambling and gaming. What exactly is Karnataka trying to ban?

The gaming community is worried about a proposed ban on online games.

Karnataka is considering banning online gambling, but people at the top are talking about ‘games.’

On November 20, home minister Basavaraj Bommai said he wants to enact a law to ban “online games”. This comes on the heels of such a law in Tamil Nadu.

Shravanth Reddy, managing director and CEO of League of Extraordinary Gamers (LXG), says that the language used is vague.

“While the Tamil Nadu ordinance begins by stating that it seeks to ban online gambling and real money buy-ins; it later uses the term online gaming. This has led to confusion among the community on what is being banned,” he explains.

He says that initial reports said that apps with in-app purchases, gaming arcades, and any gaming tournament with prize money is banned. “We provide only the space and infrastructure for gamers to play their games, for which they pay a fee. We too were confused about whether the ordinance applies to us or not. Our legal team checked with the courts and clarified that it only applies to real money gambling,” he says.

He explains that such a confusion emerges because those who are making the laws do not understand what online gaming is and have a biased view on the matter.

LXG is hoping to approach the courts to ask the authorities to put forth an official clarification.

“We have worked with the IT ministry in Karnataka and have a good rapport with them; I hope that we can lobby for a better understanding of what online gaming is and move towards a better structured law,” he says.

The distinction that needs to be drawn is between a game of skill and a game of luck, gaming companies say.

Gamer Zubin Paymaster agrees. “In a game of skill it doesn’t matter how much money you spend; if you are not good at it, you won’t win. In a pay-to-play game, it’s obvious that the more you spend, the higher your chances of winning,” he says.

He adds that most purchases of games of skill are for aesthetic purposes and they don’t change the your chances of winning. “This is how free-to-play games make their money, and how you as a player support the company,” he says.

The way forward?

Banning a game is not the way forward, he says. “If players are committing suicide because they are addicted to a game, what guarantee is there that they won’t do something drastic if it is taken away from them,” he wonders.

Psychiatrist Dr Roshan Jain, who specialises in de-addiction, is also against bans.

“Historically these measures don’t work. Without a strategy to combat addiction, a ban is useless,” he says.

He explains that the first step is to get a handle on how extensive the problem is and then plan how and when the government must take responsibility.

“Certain online gambling games tend to have a built-in safeguard. If a person is losing consecutively, they are barred for a period of time. This mechanism coupled with the player being directed to get help is a viable way to counter addiction,” he explains.

He adds that gambling apps can also be linked with de-addiction centres or NGOS that help with de-addiction.

“As an addict you don’t recognise the consequences when you lose control as doing something becomes a compulsion. And it is highly likely that someone with one addiction has multiple addictions. So banning one doesn’t help the individual,” he adds.

He explains that a ban could lead to two things, the person quitting or shifting the addiction.

“The latter is the more commonly seen phenomena. For example those who want to quit smoking cigarettes get hooked on nicotine gum. Effective therapy is required to make sure that de-addiction happens properly,” he says.

Need for group

Shravanth Reddy, managing director and CEO of League of Extraordinary Gamers, says there are over five lakh people employed in the country’s gaming industry but there is no official association that lobbies for them.

“An organisation would give us the standing to approach the government for changes and clarification in laws that are haphazardly brought about.”

“We are more than open to formalising the sector but want it done by people who have knowledge of what it is,” he explains.