RMG players sidelined by MIB for WAVES, seek equal treatment

The Real Money Gaming (RMG) industry is expressing disappointment over the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) showing indifference to its participation in the upcoming World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), scheduled for February in Delhi. Furthermore, RMG representatives have not been granted a meeting with the MIB in over two months.

The WAVES 2025 will be held from February 5–9 in New Delhi, focusing on four key pillars: Broadcasting & Infotainment, Digital Media & Innovation, AVGC-XR, and Films.

The E-Gaming Federation (EGF) recently introduced CityQuest: Shades of Bharat in collaboration with the MIB as part of the "Create in India Challenge" for WAVES 2025. Originally intended to launch during the WAVES, the game is co-powered by Games24x7, one of the country’s leading RMG players. However, EGF launched the game without the presence of Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Sources claim that MIB has refused to be seen beside RMG players at the summit.

An RMG representative told Storyboard18, “The bureaucrats seem open to including RMG as part of WAVES, but the I&B Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, remains hesitant. We have been waiting patiently for a platform to showcase our contributions to the industry.”

It’s noteworthy that the Game Developers Association of India (GDAI) has partnered with the MIB to highlight various video game launches at the event, while the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) is working with the ministry to organize an esports championship. However, the RMG sector has no representation at WAVES.

India’s gaming market grew 23% year-over-year (YoY) by revenue, reaching $3.8 billion in the 2023-24 fiscal year, despite a 28% blanket goods and services tax (GST) imposed on online gaming, according to a report by gaming-focused venture capital firm Lumikai. The report highlighted that RMG remains the primary revenue driver for the industry, contributing $2.4 billion of the total. In-app purchases were the fastest-growing segment, increasing by 41% YoY. RMG firms managed to add $400 million to their topline in FY24 despite absorbing the GST burden, thanks to a packed live sports calendar that included two world cups and the IPL.

Another RMG representative, speaking anonymously, shared, “It’s disheartening that despite being a significant contributor to the gaming industry’s growth, the government continues to ignore us. We pay substantial taxes yet have no platform to showcase our progress.”

“The government needs to resolve its internal disagreements within the MIB to support the growth of the RMG sector,” the representative added.

The RMG industry faces ongoing legal challenges in Indian courts, with no clear outcomes. A source close to the matter revealed to Storyboard18 that the MIB is reluctant to promote RMG as an industry due to these pending legal cases.

Storyboard18 was the first to report the Indian government’s decision to separate RMG from the broader video gaming sector. Under this policy, RMG platforms will be overseen by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), while video games for entertainment and content will remain under the MIB’s jurisdiction.

The source further explained, “The MIB has refused to engage with the RMG sector. For over two months, neither industry federations nor individual players have managed to secure meetings with MIB officials. This clearly demonstrates their intention to treat RMG as distinct from the video gaming industry.”

Earlier, on September 6, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) had sent a letter to MIB, MeitY, and NITI Aayog seeking clarity on distinguishing between games of skill and games of chance. This distinction is crucial for drafting a policy formalizing 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in online gaming.

The proposed policy would permit full FDI in online real-money gaming, provided the investments exclude betting or gambling activities. NITI Aayog, India's premier policy think tank, is working to establish these definitions to ensure a robust long-term framework for the gaming ecosystem.

The ongoing discord between the RMG sector and the MIB highlights a significant divide in how the gaming industry is perceived and supported in India. An expert said that collaboration, rather than exclusion, should be key to drive unified vision for the online gaming industry’s future.