Nodwin Gaming co-founder calls for greater distinction between gaming and betting

Nodwin Gaming co-founder calls for greater distinction between gaming and betting

The controversy with game companies seeking to impersonate and classify themselves as gaming and esports companies has been going on for some time. Since 2018, these companies have been trying to hide by calling themselves game companies and have even participated in the Game Developers Conference of India. IGDC Governor Rajesh Rao defended these companies saying they were playing "games of skill". But Akshat Rathee, co-founder of Nodwin Gaming, which is the official partner of ESL in India, has spoken out against these companies. In a recent interview with AFK Gaming (Behind the Paywall), Rathee said: "All over the world RMG or real money gaming companies are popping up, making tons of money off of a huge base of people losing games and ,ultimately governments call it gambling.The largest of these companies are fighting or getting gambling licenses and continue to operate in a regulated manner.In such a scenario the government collects tax revenue and licences,the corporations continue to make profits and responsible gaming remains the main theme.” Rathee may put himself in a difficult position by stating these things, as Nazara, which now funds Nodwin Gaming, has a significant stake in the game.

This could be unfavorable for video games.

The victim of this whole situation will be the gaming community in India as the actual game developers do not have the kind of financial backing that these game companies have. And this IGN article has highlighted how they're moving forward. One case in which gambling fell victim was in October last year when Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced that 132 websites in the state serve as gambling platforms. And that list included a website like EA that has developed popular games like FIFA and Apex Legends. . "States that have been led to believe that RMG equals gambling have taken the initiative to ban 'online gaming,'" says Rathee. "A term that may accidentally encompass more than real money gambling and fantasy sports activities." And the precise need right now is to distinguish between what is called video games and game apps in India.