Committed to growth of online gaming, won’t allow industry to take control of SRO: IT Minister

New Delhi: The government is committed to growth of online gaming with new rules safeguarding digital citizens, but will not allow hijack of the proposed self-regulatory body, that will operate at arm’s length from the industry and have equitable representation, IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said. SRO or the self-regulatory body, proposed under the draft rules for online gaming, will be an institutional body that will be tasked with registering online gaming intermediaries, and certifying what is a permitted online game and what is not.

The Minister also informed that many of the burning issues around online user harm, safety and trust, safeguarding children from addictive intermediaries or platforms will be addressed in the upcoming Digital India Act, a new legislation that will replace the over two-decade-old Information Technology Act.