Indian state Andhra Pradesh has announced that a law banning online gaming has been passed. This comes as there have been several cases of suicide as a result of debt from playing these games. The ban hopes to tackle illegitimate online gambling and gaming sites.
Dangerous activity
The government of Andhra Pradesh has stated that there have been more opportunities for dangerous and illicit online activity as a result of the expansion of technology.
State Home Minister M Sucharitha said: “Many internet websites which claim to provide gambling services are not authentic and there are no regulatory measures to check the legitimacy of these sites. That makes it really easy for these sites to defraud the customers and it also raises a lot of security and privacy issues.”
Details to come
There are not yet any details of what the bill will entail but reports are suggesting a ban on online gaming and gambling. Back in October, there was news of the government’s intention to bring in an ordinance of this kind.
With an increased number of young children taking their own lives as a result of getting into debt with these games, the Indian government has taken action. We expect to hear more about what the ban will involve but for now, we know that online gaming will not be permitted.
Three neighbouring states to Andhra Pradesh have attempted similar crackdowns so India is certainly a country to watch.
