Rajya Sabha passes Online Gaming Bill amid opposition protests

New Delhi [India], August 21 : Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed 'The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill' amid protests and sloganeering by the Opposition.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had moved 'The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill' as passed by Lok Sabha for consideration and passing in Rajya Sabha.
Highlighting the aspects of the bill, the Union Minister explained that there are three aspects of the bill - "E-sports, Online Social Gaming and Online Money Gaming" out of which 2/3rd segment (E-sports and Online Social Gaming) will be promoted and encouraged.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Vaishnaw said, "Online gaming is an important subject which has emerged as an important sector in the digital world. It has 3 segments - the first segment is e-sports, in which people form a team and play, learn coordination, have strategic thinking. Our players have also won many medals. In this bill, e-sports will be promoted, an authority will be created for it and it will get legal recognition. The second is Online Social Games which includes solitaire, chess, soduku, etc. In this bill, online social games will be promoted, encouraged and an authority will be created."
The Union Minister stated the third segment - 'Online Money Game' as has become "Public Health Risk."
He further said, "2/3rd segment of the entire world of online gaming is being promoted, but there is one such segment, 3rd - online money games, due to which a big problem has arisen in the society, especially in the middle class youth. It gets addicted and the family's savings are spent. It is estimated that 45 crore people are affected by it and more than Rs 20,000 crore has been destroyed in it. WHO has declared it a gaming disorder. Online money gaming has become a public health risk. Problems like psychological disorder, compulsive behaviour, violent behaviour are arising from it. Many families have been destroyed due to it. This has become a huge problem. Its major aspect is money laundering and its effect have also been seen in terror activities. There were efforts to stop this problem but this problem kept on increasing."
Union Minister Vaishnaw also hit out at the opposition for creating ruckus in the House while the Minister was moving the bill for passing.
He said, "From time to time many irregularities arise in the society, at such times it is the responsibility of the Government and the Parliament to take action against the irregularities and bring solutions which can stop these irregularities in the society. We all know that earlier many families were getting destroyed due to chit funds, Modi government dealt with the problem by bringing a law on it. Whenever the interest of middle class and youth is discussed, PM Modi ji has always talked about the interest of middle class and youth by keeping revenue and economy on one side and rising it above that. The same subject is before the Parliament today. If Opposition works on this subject today, we also understand that they also talk about the interests of the middle class and the youth, but they are not concerned about this at all, they work only and only for their political objectives."