Rajya Sabha passes Online Gaming Bill amid opposition protests

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed 'The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill' amid protests and sloganeering by the Opposition.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had moved 'The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill' as passed by Lok Sabha for consideration and passing in Rajya Sabha.

Highlighting the aspects of the bill, the Union Minister explained that there are three aspects of the bill - "E-sports, Online Social Gaming and Online Money Gaming" out of which 2/3rd segment (E-sports and Online Social Gaming) will be promoted and encouraged.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Vaishnaw said, "Online gaming is an important subject which has emerged as an important sector in the digital world. It has 3 segments - the first segment is e-sports, in which people form a team and play, learn coordination, have strategic thinking. Our players have also won many medals. In this bill, e-sports will be promoted, an authority will be created for it and it will get legal recognition. The second is Online Social Games which includes solitaire, chess, soduku, etc. In this bill, online social games will be promoted, encouraged and an authority will be created."

The Union Minister stated the third segment - 'Online Money Game' as has become "Public Health Risk."

He further said, "2/3rd segment of the entire world of online gaming is being promoted, but there is one such segment, 3rd - online money games, due to which a big problem has arisen in the society, especially in the middle class youth. It gets addicted and the family's savings are spent. It is estimated that 45 crore people are affected by it and more than Rs 20,000 crore has been destroyed in it. WHO has declared it a gaming disorder. Online money gaming has become a public health risk. Problems like psychological disorder, compulsive behaviour, violent behaviour are arising from it. Many families have been destroyed due to it. This has become a huge problem. Its major aspect is money laundering and its effect have also been seen in terror activities. There were efforts to stop this problem but this problem kept on increasing." (ANI)

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