The gaming industry has become a cornerstone of innovation, employment and entertainment in India’s booming digital ecosystem. Yet, this growth comes with challenges. Despite its potential, the industry struggles with regulatory ambiguity and mounting public scrutiny. At the heart of this lies a fundamental question:
Has Gaming earned the respect it seeks for doing business responsibly?

Regulatory Gray Areas and Industry Efforts
Gaming in India remains largely unregulated, leaving companies grappling with compliance uncertainty. Unlike traditional industries with well-defined regulatory structures, gaming companies have no clear benchmarks apart from generic business laws. This regulatory vacuum has led to efforts by various industry stakeholders to define compliance frameworks. Recently, there has been a growing movement to introduce an industry-led framework for compliance. While such efforts demonstrate initiative, there are important considerations:

1. Potential for Limited Perspectives: Frameworks designed primarily by industry stakeholders may not fully incorporate the diverse viewpoints of regulators, mental health professionals, human rights advocates and consumers.
2. Focus on Gaming Alone: These frameworks often address only the gaming sector, making it challenging to benchmark compliance across digital industries like fintech, e-commerce and social media.
3. Evolving Standards: Without a multi-stakeholder approach, such frameworks risk missing broader societal concerns that are increasingly integral to business operations

The Responsible Digital Gaming Framework
SKOCH launched the Responsible Digital Gaming Framework on 15 July 2024 to address these gaps. This is not just another industry standard—it is a multi-stakeholder initiative born out of months of consultation with regulators, human rights advocates, mental health professionals and industry leaders. The framework features 74 comprehensive indicators across eight dimensions:

1. Responsibility: Player protection, self-exclusion and responsible marketing.
2. Integrity Gaming: Financial transparency, ethical conduct and data security.
3. Risk Management: Anticorruption measures, regulatory obligations, and mitigation strategies.
4. Professionalism: Customer service, conflict resolution and industry knowledge.
5. Marketing & Advertisement: Prevention of misleading ads and protection of minors.
6. Social Responsibility: Crime prevention, human rights and online protections.
7. Mental Health: Employee assistance programs, counseling services and awareness campaigns.
8. Multi-Language Accessibility: Inclusivity through localised content and cultural sensitivity. Unlike industry-centric frameworks, this approach enables cross-sector comparisons, allowing us to measure compliance across digital industries. Gaming is no longer assessed in isolation but within the broader digital ecosystem.

The Baseline Survey: Measuring What Matters
The first baseline survey conducted in October 2024 assessed 30 companies and set the stage for the expanded study, covering 73 Gaming apps. The results reveal a mixed picture:

• Technical Compliance: The industry average stands at 34%. Leaders like A23 Rummy (64%) and Dream11 (57%) have made significant strides, while others lag far behind.
• Extent of Compliance: Only 17%, highlight the need for better implementation of policies. These indicators spotlight gaps and serve as a roadmap for improvement. The survey underscores the need for systemic reforms, particularly in mental health, social responsibility and ethical marketing.

Why this Study Matters

1.Guidance for Regulation: Gaming in India remains largely unregulated, creating uncertainty for businesses. The SKOCH Responsible Digital Gaming Framework provides a structured roadmap for companies to align with best practices while preparing for future regulations.
2. Enhancing Credibility: Compliance with measurable standards builds trust among consumers, investors, and regulators. For companies aspiring to global competitiveness, adherence to these benchmarks is nonnegotiable.
3. Fostering Industry Growth: By addressing gaps in player protection, financial transparency, and marketing ethics, the framework ensures a sustainable and responsible growth trajectory for the gaming sector.
4. Advancing Social Good: Gaming is more than business— it impacts millions of lives. The framework emphasises mental health, human rights and inclusivity, ensuring the industry contributes positively to society

Gaming as a Digital Native Industry
The challenges facing Gaming mirror those in other digital native industries like e-commerce, fintech, and ride-hailing. These sectors, too, operate in evolving regulatory landscapes, struggling to balance innovation with compliance. The SKOCH Responsible Digital Gaming Framework can serve as a blueprint for these industries, fostering a culture of accountability and ethical practices

The Path Forward
The question—Has Gaming earned respect for doing business?—can only be answered by sustained efforts from the industry. While some companies have made strides, the road ahead demands collective action:

• Collaboration and Engagement: Gaming companies must use multistakeholder frameworks to incorporate diverse perspectives and ensure holistic compliance.
• Proactive Compliance: Waiting for mandates is no longer an option. Companies must adopt voluntary compliance to stay ahead of the curve.
• Cross-Industry Benchmarking: By aligning Gaming with broader digital industries, stakeholders can measure progress more effectively

Call to Action
The Responsible Digital Gaming Framework is more than a set of standards—it is a call to action for the Gaming industry to rise to the occasion. Compliance is not just about meeting benchmarks but about earning respect and trust. As the industry matures, its ability to self-regulate and adopt ethical practices will define its success. Let’s make Gaming in India a global benchmark for responsible business. Visit gaming.skoch.in to download the full report and learn more about how your company can lead the way in responsible Gaming.

Disclaimer:

• Compliance refers to voluntary adherence to certain standards or best practices, where following the rules is not legally required but recommended to maintain reputational integrity and meet industry benchmarks.
• All technical compliance ratings are based on what is visible on the app. All Extent of Compliance ratings are subjective opinions of SKOCH researchers who have a backdround in either law or economics.
• All Names and Trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
• SKOCH is not an investment or financial advisory agency.