Ashwini Vaishnaw calls for a central act to regulate online gambling

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The Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw has informed during the Question Hour of parliament that 17 states have already amended the Public Gambling Act and introduced sections against online gambling.

Vaishnaw replied to the questions asked during the Question Hour on issues pertaining in connection with online gambling. He said, "As many as 17 states have amended the Public Gambling Act and introduced sections against online gambling. We should reach a consensus and have a Central act to regulate online gaming and gambling."

According to the union minister, there is a complex legal issue related to gambling. He added, “As we have a consensus with the state governments, the Centre will come up with an act to regulate online gaming and gambling. It is important to create a consensus first and then come to Parliament."

Online gambling has become a complex legal issue in India, several states passed laws against it, says Vaishnaw.

Meanwhile, the Union minister of state for electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said earlier this week that the government policies for online gaming service providers and intermediaries are aimed at ensuring an open, safe, trusted and accountable internet space for its users.

"With the expansion of the internet and more and more Indians coming online, the potential for Indians being exposed to information which may be addictive in nature, inappropriate for children, depicts violence or is harmful to mental health, has grown," the minister said on Friday.

He further said to help achieve the aim of making it safe, the government has recently laid down Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

These rules, he said, cast specific obligations on intermediaries, including intermediaries offering online games, to observe diligence and provide that if they fail to observe such diligence, they shall no longer be exempt from their liability under law for third-party information or data or communication link hosted by them, including on websites.

The intermediaries must make efforts to cause its user not to host, display, publish, transmit or share any information (including information in the nature of an online game) that is harmful to children, causes incitement to the commission of any cognizable offense, relates to encouraging gambling, or violates any law.