SRINAGAR: The government on Wednesday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to prohibit and regulate online gaming, even as Opposition members staged protests over electoral roll revision in Bihar.
Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tabled the legislation amid slogan-shouting and placard-waving by Opposition MPs. Congress leader Manish Tewari, who was invited to oppose the bill at the introduction stage, declined to speak, insisting that the House should first address the issue of the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the Opposition’s behaviour, remarking that even school students were now mocking parliamentarians for repeated disruptions.
The proposed law seeks to ban online money gaming and related advertisements, prescribing imprisonment, fines, or both for violators. At the same time, it distinguishes such games from eSports and online social games, while calling for measures to promote the latter.
