Will the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware of the series of suicide in the State of Telangana due to mounting debt created by online rummy games;
(b) if so, the details of the action taken in this regard;
(c) whether the Government is considering a complete ban on online gambling or partial regulating it; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
(a) and(b):The rapid expansion of Internet in India has also seen many different types of intermediaries in both the existing and the newly emerging categories. Online gaming is one of the new emerging category of intermediaries that is also rapidly expanding all around the world.
Government is aware of the possible risks and challenges including that of user harms associated with Internet including online games and gambling. This Ministry has not received any information from Government of Telangana regarding suicides by online rummy games.
(c)and (d): Online gaming platforms are intermediaries and they have to follow the due diligence as prescribed in the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 and the Rules thereunder.
State Governments under List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution have enacted their laws to deal with betting and gambling within their jurisdictions. Some States have recently legislated for online gaming also.
MeitY regulate all the intermediaries as per the IT Act and the Rues thereunder.
Further, keeping with the MeitY’s objective and goals to ensure an Open, Safe &Trusted and Accountable Internet, Government has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 under the IT Act, 2000. The said Rules provide for removal of any information/ application violative of any extant law, as and when notified by an appropriate government or its authorized agency.
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