Gaming Federations Unite to Enforce User Safety Code of Ethics

The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) has partnered with the Federation of Fantasy Sports (FIFS) and the E-Gaming Federation (EGF) to implement a code of ethics (CoE) aimed at promoting responsible gaming and maintaining safety standards across the industry.

“The CoE is aimed at enforcing consistent standards of user safety across the industry through the implementation of responsible gaming and advertising policies and mandates annual third-party audits and comprehensive reporting mechanisms to ensure accountability and transparency,” the three organisations said in a statement.

The code of ethics requires gaming companies to enforce age-gating, follow strict know-your-consumer protocols, protect player data, manage player funds responsibly, provide clear player information, offer tools for identifying at-risk players, and ensure ethical advertising and promotions.

Gaming companies with a revenue of more than ₹100 crore per year will have to implement these practices within the next six months while those platforms whose revenue is less than ₹100 crore per year will have nine months to implement these guidelines.

“Upon successful adoption, federations will issue a certification valid for one year which shall be renewable annually upon completion of a third-party independent audit. The code will be reviewed annually to assess its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement,” the statement said.

This marks the second instance where gaming federations have united to establish a shared code of ethics that must be adhered to by all members.

Previously, in December 2023, AIGF, EGF, and FIFS, in collaboration with the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), introduced a voluntary code of ethics aimed at  “protect the interests of consumers and enable them to make informed choices about the online games they access”.       

The code of ethics states that online gaming companies should make efforts to provide a self-exclusion feature, enabling players to voluntarily suspend their access for a selected period. Additionally, they should implement educational and awareness campaigns to promote responsible gaming practices.

The Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA) has decided to regulate the time and money spent on online real money games. Users under 18 will be prohibited from playing, and know-your-customer (KYC) verification will be mandatory for all players during registration.

The order also requires online gaming platforms to show pop-up caution messages to players who play for over an hour, with these messages appearing every 30 minutes thereafter.