India’s Online Gaming Industry Is in Peril and Government Regulations Will Ensure Its Demise

India may have over a billion people but the nation is yet to hit a home run in the Esports world that can rival the best from Europe, North America and Asia.

While the situation has improved in recent years with the boom of mobile games like PUBG, BGMI and Free Fire, it seems like the growth might stagnate soon with the stringent laws and regulations from the government.

Many states more have imposed restrictions for users when it comes to the amount of time they can spend on video games. The most recent situation came from India’s central state in Madhya Pradesh, when lawmakers revealed a new policy following the alleged suicide of a kid.

As these restrictions might allegedly help stamp out issues such as addiction to video games, they also endanger the livelihoods of Esports player who depend a lot on them. Along with that, it also creates a stigma around video games and players will have a hard time making it a career with increased regulations on the video game of their choice.

Other than addiction, many games such as poker have found itself in crossroads as many states have banned them over gambling problems. In a recent Al Jazeera report, experts and players like Nikita Luther explained how the government has made it harder for talents like her to hone their game in a country with strict regulations. “If these laws are allowed to stand, it could cripple the gaming sector in India.” says Nikita.

At the highest level of play, poker requires a lot of strategy, and it’s not at all determined by luck, which is a major factor in any sort of gambling affair.

However, the laws in India have yet to differentiate these games from the professional and gambling point of view, and while the regulations help in curbing gambling related problems, it has also put the players’ careers at risk.

Both poker and Esports on video game titles now face a major issue regarding the Indian regulations, and while they are considered important in the long run, players believe that the state governments need to draft better solutions for the problems that come along with online gaming rather than a blanket ban on all forms of online gaming.