In the beginning, God바카라s dice spun and rolled across the void바카라Š. And Creation came to be, in a wanton game of chance. How바카라s that for an account of the universe? Maybe sport바카라our playful tango with unpredictability바카라is not just an indulgence of leisure, but the very soul of our existence. The 바카라ludic바카라 ethos, as they call it바카라from the Latin ludere, to play, the very word which also gives us Ludo. Now, a virus may defeat the best traps laid by humankind, but does it stand a chance against something ordÂained by the Creator? The roll of God바카라s dice바카라and man바카라s dice바카라saw dynasties vanquished, epochal battles fought and kingdoms lost. The pastoral world of the Rig Veda was no stranger to it. And the centrepiece of the Mahabharata바카라as rich a lighthouse view as you want of social realities in the centuries before바카라was the virtuous Yudhishthira바카라s fatal attraction for chausar, an ancient board game. Our human-like gods themselves loved it: witness Ellora바카라s eighth century painting depicting Shiva playing a game of dice with his consort, Parvati. Cut to the 21st century바카라Š.
From Ludo To Rummy, Online Gaming Comes To Roost During COVID Times, But What Is The Real Deal?
Online gaming has seen a sharp rise during the lockdown. App makers continue to take advantage of an ambiguous law but consumers are happy as long as they are having some real fun
Things have changed a bit; humans can now recreate themselves in a test tube. But the thrill of dice rolling in the air has grabbed us all over again. The players could now sit continents apart, but the humble charms of a board or card game bind them irresistibly. Old games refitted onto mobile screens바카라rummy, poker바카라Šand Ludo. The last is the runaway winner in the bustling world of online gaming: millions have downloaded apps for a game that goes all the way back to the one on which epics turned. Now, Hastinapur is in lockdown바카라Šso is Houston, and everything in between. But the pulse quickens in countless homes as that cube spins hypnotically.
Online gaming was already burgeoning in India before COVID-19. It had grown 40 per cent in 2019 to reach Rs 6,500 crore in revenues, with casual and core gamers numbering a grand 360 million바카라exceeding the population of the US! And now, when world economies have come to grief due to the pandemic, the online gaming sector has shown a contrary graph바카라the months of lockdown have seen massive growth. This is the second year in a row that online gamÂÂing has been the fastest growing segment of the Indian media and entertainment industry. It is now the seventh largest segment of the industry and is expÂected to be the fifth largest by 2022, according to Ernst & Young. Mukesh Ambani, never a laggard at trendspotting, offered: 바카라Gaming will be bigger than music, movies and television shows put together.바카라
Yudhisthira at the game of dice
The beating heart of this explosion is the nerdy, hard-core gamer바카라a special sub-species of humankind around whom this ecosystem evolved바카라but the flesh and blood is now made up of ordinary gamers. Ludo, for instance, is simple, comes wrapped in nostalgia, and the multi-player format has created an enjÂoyable space for family time. The warÂmth of time spent together in play바카라with parents and children logging in from across the world바카라is the best antidote to an atomised existence, made gloomier by the lockdown. Ludo King, an app devÂeloped by a Mumbai-based company, becÂame the world바카라s sixth most downloaded game this May, crossing 100 million downloads. The lockdown saw Ludo King바카라s popularity soar 142 per cent, with 51 million playing the game every day, worldwide! Mummy plays rummy in the afternoon with friends, but gets together with daddy and kiddo for a bout of ludo by nightfall, the soft glow of mobile screens lighting up smiling faces.
But the enormous potential of gaming resides in the young ones, who have grown up as digital natives. Ankit, a class 12 student and a Chelsea fan, is addicted to the FIFA Mobile game, often to the frustration of his parents. But he has his self-analysis down pat. 바카라Online games provide a platform for people, generally teenagers like me, to escape into a fantasy world바카라Šlured by a sense of false achievement and the ability to become someone whom we idolise. It gives us a feeling of control and how it feels like to be at the top. Games like FIFA Mobile give people the opportunity to play with their favourite soccer stars and compete with other players to make the best dream teams,바카라 he tells Outlook.
The world of online gaming is complex. The digital age gives us high-speed internet and affordable smartphones, just the catalyst it needs. But the biggest challenge the industry faces is credibility. As operators compete fiercely to grab a share of the ever-Âexpanding user base with innovative products, questions on regulations and transparency abound. In recent weeks, even the innocuous Ludo has come under the scanner: the concept of virtual money has not escÂaped the attention of industry watchdogs. If virtuous Yudhishthira could wager wife and kingdom바카라back when wives were chattel바카라the fallibility of the common Indian is easy to imagine. Especially when offline betting can easily escape detection. So far, games like Ludo have been controversy-free, with companies making money through Google ads. But it could be a matter of time before some enterprising operator, exploiting a sketchy law, introduces betting to add to the excitement.
Online gaming has three broad segments. There are transaction games like poker, rummy, fantasy sport et al where people pay to play a game; hyper-casual games like Ludo, Scrabble, quizzes which are played individually or in teams; and e-sports games like PUBG Mobile, Counter Strike, DOTA, FIFA, which are skill-based, competitive, invÂolve multiple players and, at the higher end of the scale, attract live viewership. Enough variety to make definitions difficult, and to raise regulatory eyebrows. Indian laws are rather ambiguous바카라excÂept that they differentiate between 바카라games of skill바카라 and 바카라games of chance바카라, which is not easy to adjudicate. Anything that has mass following and involves a monetary transaction attracts attention and, as industry experts admit, there are always bad apples that spoil an otherwise fair business. The moment money comes into play, the game has to justify how a winning outcome was reached.
There바카라s a strict prohibition on participation in games of chance that offer money, like sports betting, roulette and lotteries. However, games of skill바카라where outcomes are not entirely controlled by chance바카라are treated differently; they are deemed comparable to any other entertainment activity. This differential treatment has been a historic feature of Indian law.
바카라Ludo is unlikely to be classified as a game of skill under Indian law, and therefore placing money on the game could amount to an offence of gambling. Nothing can be done if people are placing bets separately, outside of the app, while playing Ludo. Gambling privately amoÂngst friends is not illegal if the orgÂaniser makes no profit or commission out of the activity. However, if betting activity on Ludo is organised for profit, law enforcement authorities can take actÂion,바카라 says Jay Sayta, a legal expert on regulatory and online gaming policy issues.
Another differential is an accidental byproduct of federalism. In the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution (Entries 34 and 62 of List II), state governments have been autÂhorised to make laws on betting and gambling. Therefore, where a state legislation on gambling exists, it prevails over the Public Gambling Act of 1867, the long-standing central legislation. A number of states have enacted legislation to govern gambling and gaming. Many operators, especially those opeÂrating fantasy leagues, resort to these state laws to run their businesses.
On July 24, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court passed a detailed order on a petition, urging the Tamil Nadu government to bring in a law to regulate online and virtual games. The court noted, in an inquisitive tone, how websites like Ace2Three, My11Circle, RummyPassion, LeoVegas, PokerDangal, Spartan Poker et al are mushrooming and advertising. Elaborating on games of skill and chance, as well as the pitfalls of gaming addiction among unemployed youth, the court said it바카라s not against virtual games per se but expressed the need for a regulatory body to monitor and regulate the domain. Not a bad thought, given wide concerns over the social impact of games like Blue Whale or Pokemon, which have been banned by many countries.
The internet revolution바카라counting teleÂcommunication technology and global bank transfers바카라has created a global market for activities on which people can legally place a wager. Today, with easy access to internet gaming sites, people can place wagers over phone, personal computer, what have you. The regulatory mind, thus, needs to negotiate a tricky, dynamic field. But India is still trapped in the old duality of 바카라skill바카라 or 바카라chance바카라, observed a Deloitte report. Roland Landers, CEO of the All India Gaming Federation, an industry body like FICCI, adds more facets: 바카라Digital transactions have increased, and it바카라s difficult for states to police online gaming flowing from elsewhere. I am in Mumbai today, tomorrow I am in Delhi. And the game that was legal in Mumbai may not be legal in Delhi. We are working to resÂolve this anomaly.바카라 Landers is happy about the recognition the industry has got, especially in the last two years.
What gives legal protection to fantasy league operators and firms running onlÂine games like Rummy and e-sports is Section 12 of the Public Gaming Act that exempts games of skill from penal provisions against gambling바카라바카라Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this Act contained shall be held to apply to any game of mere skill wherever played바카라. Even the Supreme Court has interpreted the words 바카라mere skill바카라 to include games that are preponderantly of skill and have laid down that (i) competitions where success depends on a substantial degree of skill will not fall into the category of 바카라gambling바카라; and (ii) despite there being an element of chance, if a game is preponderantly a game of skill, it would nevertheless be a game of 바카라mere skill바카라. Hence, no trouble over gambling.
While these definitions may merit a serÂious relook, card games like Rummy, among the most thriving of all online gaming businesses, seemingly look more securely regimented. Online rummy is about 12 years old and has about seven million registered players in India. Sameer Barde, CEO, The Online Rummy Federation, wagers that unlike fantasy sports, Rummy is 바카라purely skill-based바카라 but says what gives it credibility is that top operators ensure stringent adherence to rules to guarantee a safe, fair and transparent environment.
Parvati beats Shiva in a game of chausar
바카라We have a system of certification. The four top operators바카라Rummy Circle, Ace2three, Junglee and Rummy Passion바카라have acquired the TORF seal, a sign of credibility and integrity. TORF guards the player from getting cheated. The system prevents underage participation, money-laundering and people playing beyond their means,바카라 says Barde. TORF also guards against irresponsible advÂertising that puts young people at risk of being exploited. Barde says Rummy anticipates a turnover of around Rs 3,000 crore this year, with the business growing at the rate of 25-27 per cent each year. 바카라We should be worth half a billion two-and-half years down the line and that바카라s largely due to the credibility we are building,바카라 Barde says, adding that Rummy is far ahead of fantasy leaÂgues in terms of business. 바카라Fantasy leaÂgues associated with cricket are burning a lot of money to grab visibility but they have some way to go before they can actually start making money,바카라 he says.
Questions on transparency and security have grown stronger in recent weeks. In the wake of the India-China standoff in Ladakh, online gaming has come under the scanner also because Chinese firms have either inveÂsted big time in Indian partners or their apps like PUBG Mobile have swept the millennials off their feet. Thus, it was not surprising that Paytm First Games, which have major investments from ChiÂÂnese e-commerce giant Alibaba, refused to talk on their nature of business and style of operation.
Paytm is also a major partner of the BCCI. Reportedly, Paytm First Games had recently partnered with Daraz, a Pakistan-based e-commerce company. Both Daraz and Paytm First Games are backed by Alibaba. While Paytm First Games/Daraz have stated they would be expanding to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar (Pakistan as a market has not been mentioned publicly), this collaboration deal might raise concerns from Indian authorities, say industry insiders.
To be secretive is intrinsic to an industry that바카라s still only in the process of being formalised. The touchiness is getting more and more pronounced in the wake of the Union government바카라s decision to review all kinds of alliances with China. Gaming and entertainment apps, thus, are grabbing attention for the wrong reasons now. While Mumbai-based Nazara Technologies Limited, which claims to operate in 60 countries, did not show any interest in talking about their business, Mobile Premier League, a mobile gaming platform, offered these guarded words: 바카라The space is still nascent and all stakeholders must work on such aspects (like regulations on transparency) together.바카라 However, MPL, unlike Paytm, was not entirely opaque with information. The company, which recently tied up as sponsors of Cricket Ireland, said its investors include Sequoia, Go Ventures, Times Internet, among others.
Sayta explains the competing goods at play here: 바카라Funds inflow (into gaming) from venture capitalists et al certainly boosts overall FDI inflows into India; the industry바카라s growth also means revenues for the government. With respect to Chinese investment, our new FDI policy allows ChinÂese investment in any Indian company only with prior government approval. InvesÂtments by Chinese firms in Indian gamÂÂing apps are a matter of concern from the data security/ privacy standpoints.바카라
Interestingly, some of India바카라s celebrity cricketers have lent their names to fantasy leagues. Former captains M.S. Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly endorse separate brands. Among all the fantasy leagues, which are dependent on live sporting action, Dream11 has becÂome a household name becÂause it is associated with the world바카라s richest cricket property, the IPL. Dream11, also linked with the BCCI and ICC, has so far been riding orders from the Punjab & Haryana, Bombay and (more recently) Rajasthan High Courts to operate in a space where fantasy can still get classified as a 바카라game of skill바카라. But there are serious doubts about the integrity and style of their operation바카라especially after Fancode, a sister company of Dream11, came under invÂestigation for live-streaming a fake T20 league!
Dream11, which receives funding from Chinese behemoth Tencent, is also under the Supreme Court scanner for charges of evading GST. While no valuation is readily available of the industry as a whole, Dream11, the largest fantasy sports operator in India, was reportedly estimated to be valued at approximately $1-1.5 billion in April 2019바카라that바카라s nearly Rs 10,000 crore. The Department of Revenue had challenged a Bombay High Court order, claiming that Dream11 had evaded GST to the tune of Rs 2,173 crores. It further alleged that the company was liable to pay 28 per cent GST on the face value of bets; it currently pays 18 per cent.
On an appeal from the state of Maharashtra, the Supreme Court on March 6 stayed the orders of the Bombay High Court and issued notices to all parties for hearing their contentions afresh. 바카라Even though the views of the Punjab & Haryana and Rajasthan high courts continue to be in operation, the SC바카라s order to put a stay on the operation of one of the seminal judgments regarding online fantasy sports in India has for the time been thrown into doubt the existing judicial endorsements in favour of online fantasy sports in India,바카라 observes Khaitan & Co, a legal firm.
Dream11 didn바카라t respond to Outlook바카라s query on its present status. But the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports, a body founded by Dream11, said: 바카라ReceÂntly, IIM Bangalore published India바카라s first academic study which mathematically proves a predominance of skill in Dream11바카라s specific format of fantasy sports. This case study has been published in the Harvard Business Review and is now used in statistics classes. This is why FIFS is absolutely certain that Dream11바카라s format of fantasy sports is a 바카라game of skill바카라 not amounting to betting/gambling. In the GST matter referred to above, the Supreme Court has issued notices to resÂpondents to hear the case again. It would be premature for us to comment as the matter is subjudice.바카라
EY is the one who calculated India바카라s country-sized number of 360 million-plus consumers; now, the coronavirus has seen both gamers and the time they spent spiking. At the same time, StayAtHome has accelerated digital adoption바카라Šso there could be 440 million online gamers by 2022 in India. But numbers may not be proportional to business growth.
Most people have gone to online gaming purely from an entertainment perspective. Social gaming has gone through the roof and the Ludo story is an example. Engagement doesn바카라t necessarily increase revenue because people are playing for free. When it comes to real money gaming, consumers are more prudent in these times than they would normally be; people are circumspect. Still, online gaming has carved out its own piece of the earth; the rush of consumers is akin to what OTT platforms like NetÂflix and Amazon Prime have seen. EitÂher God or the virus has ordained thus, but humans may want to show some prudence.
By Soumitra Bose with inputs from Jyotika Sood)