New Delhi, Sep 8 : As Google announced that it will begin an experiment that will allow fantasy sports and rummy games on the Play Store in India, experts in the field have said that the approach of the tech giant is “clearly discriminatory” and should take an inclusive strategy of including other games of expertise under the framework of its pilot program for local developers.Roland Landers, CEO of All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) stated that it’s a step forward step that needs to be inclusive.
Beginning on September 28 Play Store will begin a limited-time pilot program that will allow for the delivery of daily fantasy sports (DFS) and Rummy apps to users in India by developers who are incorporated in India.
“Games of skill is a broad category, and Rummy and fantasy gaming are only two formats of games which are considered in this pilot program run by Google.
Poker is also considered an activity of skill by a number of high courts in India.There are also many developers offering classic and innovative games of skill,” Landers said in an announcement.
He declared that Google Play Store has almost 95 percent market share of apps distribution platforms in India.
“This strategy by Google is particularly difficult for MSMEs and new platforms and developers which will not be able to compete with established companies since their diverse skill-based offerings will be omitted of the Play Store ecosystem,” the AIGF CEO stated.
India has seen a rise in the e-sports industry, with players such as Dream11 as well as Mobile Premier League (MPL) are now dominating the scene.
Suraj Chokhani, Managing Director, Ability Games (11wickets.com, rummy24.com, pokerlion.com) said that despite Google’s “hegemony and apparently arbitrary rules regarding gaming applications” and “apparently arbitrary policies against gaming apps,” the Indian online gaming industry has gone from strength to strength, accumulating more than 300 million downloads.
“A greater clarity is required on the payment gateways the apps on Playstore can use and the criteria for listing, and whether other gaming apps based on skills will be permitted.We’ll be watching to watch how the situation develops in the near future,” Chokhani said in an announcement.
According to Abhishek Malhotra Director of TMT Law Practice, Abhishek Malhotra TMT Law Practice, the selective exclusion of all “Real Money Games’ (RMG) except Rummy and Fantasy is clearly discriminatory.
“There is a need to reconsideration of this decision in the event of which Google might be forced to file a lawsuit.
This definitely creates an unnecessary distinction between different types of games that are offered in the RMG category in the rapidly expanding gaming market,” said Malhotra.
A Google spokesperson stated in an announcement that they are always looking for ways to help local developers create successful businesses and provide wonderful user experiences through Google Play.
“Through this pilot program we’re adopting a measured strategy which will allow us to collate the lessons learned and provide a pleasurable and safe experience for our customers,” the spokesperson added.
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