The Indian online gaming market has seen an exponential growth over the last couple of years, driven by the pandemic in part, the general willingness to pay-to-play, affordable internet and the availability of faster smartphones with enhanced gaming capabilities. The online gaming is expected to grow and hit US$5 billion by 2025, with the number of gamers expected to hit 500 million by 2025.
In an attempt to keep pace with this rapid growth and to safeguard interests of online gaming enthusiasts, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has proposed several amendments to India’s technology law framework. These proposals include the establishment of self-regulatory bodies to scrutinize online games, mandating KYC verification for gamers, and setting up a tiered grievance redressal structure to deal with user complaints.
Join us for this interactive webinar in which partners from JSA will discuss the current and proposed regulatory regime; the challenges and opportunities; as well as provide practical tips on how to mitigate and manage the regulatory framework. This webinar will also cover the following key industry issues:
- Game of skill v. game of chance – the perennial question;
- State laws v. central regulations – the need for uniformity and the struggle for control;
- Beyond Dream11 – the need for an expansive approach towards DFS;
- The future of self-regulation in online gaming; and
- Lessons from OTT platforms.
Speakers
Sidharrth Shankar
Partner
JSA
Sidharrth specializes in Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity and General Corporate Commercial. He has extensive experience in advising clients in their investments into online gaming, financial technology, financial services, pharma, medical devices, food business, e-commerce and trading, and IT/ITeS sectors.
Sidharrth has represented multi-national companies in cross-border transactions, private equity funds in their investments as well as large institutional clients for their outbound investments, joint ventures, business transfers, technology transfers, retail & franchising, restructuring and commercial contract issues. As part of advisory and transaction practice, he has advised clients on foreign direct investment and outbound investment related rules and regulations in various sectors.
He is an avid writer and, writes regularly for the business papers on topics of corporate law. Sidharrth is also ranked as leading lawyer for M&A and Private Equity by leading legal directories, including Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and IFLR 1000.
Probir Roy Chowdhury
Partner
JSA
Probir specializes in Corporate Commercial, Venture/Private Equity, and Information Technology/FinTech. His practice area covers Information Technology and FinTech. He has advised and regularly advises global technology conglomerates on various areas of Information Technology Law including Outsourcing, Data Protection and E-commerce issues. He has extensively advised and assisted his clients on various product and service offerings, including payment structures, direct carrier billing systems and contractual arrangements with payment aggregators, digital enablement service platforms, hub-based domestic person-to-person money remittance technology solutions, products for financial inclusion and for direct card to merchant payments, among others.
Probir has advised Indian and multinational companies establish and operate real-money gaming platforms, including digital fantasy sport (DFS) format applications. He has a wealth of experience advising clients on regulatory and policy matters pertaining to online gaming and has also advised one of the world's largest technology intermediaries on its online gaming related policies for India.
Yajas Setlur
Partner
JSA
Yajas is a member of JSA’s technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) practice. In this capacity, he advises clients extensively on various aspects of Indian information technology, data privacy and e-commerce laws. Yajas has assisted multinational clients in the domestic launch of global product initiatives and technology-based service offerings. He has counselled clients on Indian payment system regulations and foreign exchange laws, including regulations pertaining to pre-paid payment instruments, peer-to-peer fund transfer solutions and crypto-currencies.
Yajas has abundant experience in handling complex and high-value commercial transactions in the technology space. He has advised major communications and technology companies on outsourcing agreements, such as IT and transformational outsourcing contracts and other services arrangements.