Gaming Report: Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin Slams Governor For Not Approving Gaming Ban Bill & More

In this crisp update, we bring you three recent developments in the gaming sector.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has once again come out with a sharp attack against the state governor, RN Ravi slamming the latter for not signing the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022. The related ordinance expired at midnight on November 27, 2022, after Ravi failed to approve it.

The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the nodal ministry for the online gaming industry, is inviting gaming firms to develop web-based and mobile games for their gaming platform through its website, “MyGov,” to increase the participation and engagement of citizens.

In Kolkata, Enforcement Directorate officials conducted raids at 12 locations on Tuesday, February 28, in the e-Nuggets gaming app fraud case, including the residence of a businessman, a lawyer, and other sites.

Tamil Nadu CM MK Slams Governor For Not Approving Gaming Bill

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin, once again criticized Governor RN Ravi for refusing to sign the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022, which seeks to ban all forms of online games in the state.

In a statement, Stalin, who has criticized the Governor several times recently, asked if Ravi was not approving the Bill because he believed that the Mahabharata featured gambling. Talking to the local media Nakkeeran, Stalin questioned, “Are they not banning it considering that gambling was featured in the epic Mahabharata?”

Last month, Stalin called out the Governor, asking him how many more suicides were needed before he would sign the Bill. “How many more suicides are needed for the Governor to sign the Bill banning online gambling? The Madras High Court had directed the government to enact legislation to ban online gaming, but the Governor has insulted the state assembly that passed the Bill. It is still a mystery why the Governor who signed an Ordinance banning online games is still sitting on the Bill.”

The Tamil Nadu cabinet approved the state’s new ordinance to ban online gaming on September 27, 2022. On October 7, Governor RN Ravi approved the ordinance. The government issued a gazette notification on the ordinance’s passing but did not notify the date for it to come into effect.

On October 20, the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022, was tabled before the state assembly, which passed it. The related legislation, i.e., the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022, was sent to the Governor for final approval.

The Governor shared with the state government a list of queries, asking for clarification on specific provisions of the Act. The government submitted its response quickly, but the Governor took no action on the Bill subsequently. The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Ordinance, 2022, expired at midnight on November 27, 2022. Governor RN Ravi has since come under fire from various political sections for failing to approve the ban.

MeitY’s MyGov Invites Gaming Firms to Develop Games For Better Citizen Engagement

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)’s official website, “MyGov,” is among the largest online platforms that engage the people of India. To improve engagement on the site, “MyGov” has asked gaming firms to develop web-based and mobile games for the platform. Gaming companies can make their submissions till March 21.

The website stated in a release announced – “MyGov is looking to develop Mega (Large Scale) and Mini (Small Scale) games for greater participation and engagement of citizens and for meaningful dissemination of information.”

The site will, via the invitation, identify several potential bidders but clarified – “MyGov makes no commitments, express or implied, that this process will result in a business transaction with anyone. This RFE does not constitute an offer by MyGov.”

Who can apply to develop games for “MyGov”? Game developers registered under the Indian Companies Act, 2013, the Companies Act, 1956, the Indian Partnership Act, 1936, the Limited Liability Partnerships Act, 2008, or the Society Act and are in operation for at least three years can respond to the invite.

Selected gaming firms must create video games focusing on important national issues like Swachhata’s mission, war heroes, climate change, city planning, rural and urban development, and education policy. They will be responsible for maintaining the gaming platform’s engagement and interactive environment to ensure better user engagement.

Enforcement Directorate Conducts Raids at 12 locations in e-Nuggets Gaming App Fraud Case

Continuing their investigations into the e-Nuggets gaming app fraud case and the app owner, Aamir Khan, the Enforcement Directorate officials conducted raids at 12 locations in Kolkata on Tuesday, February 28.

The ED officials began the raids at 7.30 PM, and over the next four hours, they raided 12 locations across Kolkata city and Howrah. The locations raided included the residence of a real-estate businessman on Sambhunath Pandit Street in South Kolkata’s Bhowanipore. The ED officials took hours to go through relevant tax-related and other documents.

An ED official told Telegraph – “We have reasons to believe that the e-wallet of the man whose house was searched on Tuesday was used for bitcoin transactions to cheat people. He possibly had a share in the money duped out of the victims.”

The agency has not confirmed seizing anything from the house. A senior ED official said, “We have found that the father of this person (whose house was searched) works as a peon in a private company. The family has no clue about cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies have been frozen under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.”

The ED had, in September-end 2022, frozen Bitcoins worth ₹12.83 Crores from a Kolkata-based mobile app, E-Nuggets, basis a complaint by the Federal Bank authorities against the app owner, Aamir Khan. The ED officials raided Khan’s Garden Reach house a day after the Kolkata police recovered ₹14.53 Crores from Khan’s cryptocurrency wallet. Weeks later, Khan was arrested in Ghaziabad, UP.