The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) working in cooperation with its skill games compliance partner Arthur D. Little (ADL) has launched an independent compliance audit mechanism for validating online gaming platforms. The audit procedure takes into consideration seven key criteria with the aim to strengthen AIGF’s existing self-regulation process.
The seven audit criteria are standards for user verification, player protection, responsible gaming, financial integrity, conflict redressal, advertising and promotions, as well as legal and gaming compliance.
Currently, India’s gaming industry which consists of various skill gaming, RMG and online casino platforms and fantasy sports operators is working along a self-regulatory model that has been devised in such a way as to provide safe and responsible gaming experience to customers.
"With this certification, we plan to support our federation and member stakeholders in setting concrete foundations for the self-regulatory landscape,” said Roland Landers, Chief Executive Officer of AIGF.
"With initiatives like this along with the support of the relevant policymakers both at the centre and the state, we are confident that we can positively impact the online gaming industry in India," Landers added.
Esports and skill gaming platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) was the first operator to receive AIGF charter compliance certification by satisfactorily passing all seven key criteria.
"MPL has successfully abided by all the parameters set for this compliance audit and has been certified as AIGF Skill Games Charter Compliant,” announced Roland Landers. "This continues to highlight MPL as a responsible business and is a testament to them introducing and using industry-leading consumer safeguard standards."
The Partnership for Self-Regulation
Arthur D. Little is the world’s oldest and one of the most renowned today international management consultancies, originally based in the US city of Boston, Massachusetts. ADL’s partnership with India’s apex skill gaming industry body AIGF was announced in August last year with the aim to strengthen gaming self-regulation in Bharat.
“AIGF is pleased to onboard Arthur D. Little as our Skills Games compliance partner. With the help of ADL’s expertise in understanding changing business ecosystems, we aim to support the overall online gaming industry of India,” commented AIGF CEO Landers on the association initiative.
“Moving forward, this exercise would help both the federation and the member stakeholders in laying down industry best practices and setting concrete foundations for the self-regulatory landscape. At the end of this exercise, the members of AIGF will receive a certificate (subject to compliance) which will be proof of their compliance with AIGF’s self-regulatory skill gaming charter," Landers continued.
Commenting on the partnership on the side of Arthur D. Little, Barnik Chitran Maitra, the company’s Managing Partner and CEO for India and South Asia said, “By partnering with AIGF on instituting the Skills Games Charter, Arthur D. Little is excited to support the growth of skill-based online gaming from its present annual revenues of around USD 1 Billion to potentially USD 8-10 Billion of annual revenues by 2030 as India seeks to become a formidable global force in online gaming."
A June 2021 report by the India branch of global financial advisers KPMG estimates the size of the country’s gaming market for the Fiscal Year of 2021 at ₹ 13,600 crore coming from 43.3 crore users. The same report envisages India’s gaming user base to grow to 65.7 crore by FY 2025 and industry revenues to more than double reaching ₹ 29,000 crore.
“Now more than ever it has become imperative that the industry’s self-regulation practices should be recognized and endorsed by the relevant authorities so that it encourages additional investments leading to technological advancements as well as generation of increased revenue to the exchequer,” said Roland Landers while discussing the important role played by self-regulation for the Indian online gaming industry. “AIGF and its advisory panel of domain experts will be happy to assist in playing a consultative role for the same. We sincerely believe that with the much-needed support of the relevant policymakers across States and the Center, India can become an online gaming superpower, in the near future,” Landers added.
