The Supreme Court has considered online fantasy sports as a game of skill, but numerous individuals in the public disagree, as per a new survey by LocalCircles.

65% of the survey members said they unequivocally believe that online fantasy sports are a game of chance. A lot of them likewise encouraged the government to introduce loss limits per online game because of the related financial risks.

91% of the survey participants likewise said they believed the government should boycott unsolicited text messages sent by such gaming platforms.

The survey results come at a time when the government hopes to finish an online gaming bill, and the All India Gaming Federation expects the Indian online mobile gaming sector to reach $5 billion by 2025.

Rising smartphone and internet penetration, along with developments in game design, gaming platforms, and digital innovations, have pushed the sector lately. The pandemic, which forced many individuals to go digital for entertainment, further increased the industry’s growth. The AIGF sees the number of India’s online gamers leaping to 450 million in 2023 from 390 million last year.

Unclear and risky
Many are tense about the ambiguity and absence of regulations attached to online games. While pay-to-play falls decisively on the state list and is strictly prohibited in all forms across the nation, there is an absence of clarity about regulations in online gaming, particularly about the difference between a game of skill and a game of chance.

The Supreme Court and various high courts have maintained that fantasy sports are a game of skill, while “barring 11 states, others have put a ban on pay-to-play online gaming or risk,” the LocalCircles report said.

“In the context of fantasy games, it is very clearly established that they are games of skill.” “We are hopeful that this clarity in position will be reflected in future regulations for online games of skill as well,” said Roland Landers, CEO, of All India Gaming Federation.

One more key worry that arose out of the survey was about restricting losses in online gaming and fantasy sports. “We as operators have always advised the players to have a gameplay that fits their life, economy, physical health, and social demands,” said Ankur Singh, CEO, and Founder, of Witzeal Technologies.

However, people don’t always play with caution.

Individuals, on the other hand, do not always play with caution.

Subsequently, 54% of the survey participants wanted a loss cutoff of Rs 50 to Rs 500 for every online game and fantasy game.

A sizable proportion of those polled agreed that online and fantasy games should be viewed as a source of entertainment rather than a means of earning or supplementing one’s income.

Industry veterans looked at it differently.
“When games of skill are already a protected business activity under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, there is no reason to object to players using their skills to earn rewards and supplement their livelihoods,” Landers said.

Credit: Deccan Herald