In fantasy video games surge, coverage performs catch-up with actuality

AS completely different courts and state governments debate its legality, there’s a rising physique of opinion within the official institution in favour of a unified regulatory equipment that permits on-line fantasy video games — and appears at opening some doorways to legalising sports activities betting.
In a draft paper final month, Niti Aayog, the federal government’s coverage assume tank, proposed “uniform national-level regulation” of Online Fantasy Sports Platforms (OFSPs) with a set of initiatives: “legislative safe harbour,” “light-touch regulatory framework,” and “self-regulation.”
Inviting stakeholder feedback till January 18, Niti Aayog, citing a KPMG India report, flagged the sharp surge within the sector: 2 million customers in June 2016 to 90 million December 2019; variety of OFSPs up from 10 in 2016 to greater than 140 in 2019; a tripling of income progress, from Rs 920 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 2,470 crore in 2019-20 and the potential of 12,000 jobs within the subsequent couple of years.
Key boundaries to this progress, Niti Aayog stated, had been the dearth of a “definable test” or “regulatory guideline or forum” to evaluate and decide if a recreation is one in every of talent or probability; and fragmented regulation.

“While OFSPs operate through online media on a pan-India basis, their regulation proceeds under varied State-wise regulatory regimes. This could impact fantasy sports users’ interests of transparency, OFSP operator integrity, and fairness may vary from state to state,” stated the draft.
Niti Aayog’s paper comes a month after Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur was quoted by PTI that his “suggestion will be to legalise betting and gambling activities.” Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Kiren Rijiju stated on-line fantasy video games are “very instrumental in revolutionising” sports activities watching.
The paper additionally red-flags “unscrupulous operators who lure users with games of questionable legality in the guise of fantasy sports.” This amid scrutiny at a number of ranges exhibiting how coverage performs catch-up.
Consider:
# In the final 18 months, not less than six petitions in search of a ban on on-line playing and fantasy sports activities have been filed in numerous High Courts.
# In March final yr, the Supreme Court stayed the operation of a Bombay High Court judgment dated April 30, 2019, upholding the legality of fantasy sports activities, which bear an in depth resemblance to playing, an criminality.
# In September, Andhra Pradesh joined Telangana, Assam, Odisha, Nagaland and Sikkim in banning on-line fantasy video games performed for cash.
# In November, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court issued notices to India captain Virat Kohli and cricket board president Sourav Ganguly, amongst others, for endorsing on-line fantasy video games.
And but, industry-watchers underline, progress is the irreversible drive.
According to a Financial Times estimate, enterprise capital into gaming start-ups in India has skyrocketed from a mere $25 million in 2015 to $337 million final yr. In September alone, Dream Sports — the guardian firm of Dream11, the most important day by day fantasy sports activities operator — raised $225 million from USA-based Tiger Global and others. Days later, Mobile Premier League (MPL) raised $90 million in funding, led by Hong Kong-based SIG.
A considerable chunk of this funding is used to sponsor gamers, groups and tournaments in numerous sports activities – from cricket to kabaddi, soccer to hockey.
“This is one way to increase their user base, which in turn helps them generate revenue since every user has to pay a fee to enter a competition,” stated a guide to one of many platforms.
The scramble to draw eye-balls has seen intense competitors. While Dream XI is the Indian Premier League’s major sponsor, the brand of the MPL, a model endorsed by India captain Virat Kohli, is on the Team India jersey.
Virtually each widespread cricketer, current or retired, promotes a fantasy league – this checklist consists of the BCCI president and former India skipper Sourav Ganguly and Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar.
Of late, worldwide betting corporations, regardless of sports activities playing being unlawful in India, have slipped into the nation’s sporting ecosystem by promoting immediately and thru surrogate methods accepting on-line bets from Indian customers by way of Indian banking programs.
The Niti Aayog draft stays away from the net betting debate however says that fantasy sports activities “should not be legally classified as gambling” since talent, not probability, is a predominant issue. It has cited the instance of the regulatory programs within the United States — the place fantasy sports activities are allowed in 43 states out of fifty – to advocate a “safe harbour.”
Former US-based fantasy sports activities author and podcaster Gabriel Harber stated fantasy video games proceed to be regulated by way of state laws, which makes operators accountable. “All the states have their own separate laws for daily fantasy sports. A large number of states had banned it outright but brought them back by passing legislation. Some of them never even made it legal,” Harber stated. “Since it’s regulated on a state-to-state basis, the gaming commissions have to ensure fairness and correctly label their products.”
Pushing for self-regulation, Niti Aayog has stated a “self-regulatory organisation,” ought to talk with all states and request “them to consider granting to OFSPs immunity from criminal prosecution or sanction in respect of such formats of fantasy sports contests that are compliant with these guiding principles.”
Said Sai Srinivas, co-founder and CEO of MPL, one in every of Indian cricket group’s equipment sponsors: “We strongly believe that the self-regulatory body proposed by NITI Aayog should be set up on principles of fairness, transparency and independence, so it can help spur further innovation and ensure a level-playing field for all platforms.”
But extra safeguards could also be wanted, specialists stated. “Self-regulation is for select professions…But this is a different arena. These are not just games. There is an incursion into vulnerable sections of society, like minors with access to mobile phones. And wherever the section cannot protect itself, you will need state intervention,” stated Bengaluru-based lawyer Sridhar Prabhu.
Prabhu, who represents petitioner Sharada DR in a PIL filed within the Karnataka High Court, in search of a ban on on-line playing, stated a regulator like SEBI, which screens the inventory markets, could also be wanted for fantasy gaming to guard customers’ pursuits. “These are mammoth organisations with huge money power and reach. People who play cricket multiplied by four is the number of people who play and participate in these games. So it needs regulation, particularly because minors have access to it through mobile phones,” Prabhu stated.