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Consumer Online Foundation, a consumer rights organisation, has written to the finance minister to investigate the activities of a cricket collectable and gaming platform, RARIO, for alleged violation of tax laws with respect to cryptocurrencies, an allegation denied by the company. The letter by Consumer Online Foundation (COF) alleged that RARIO is engaged in unfair trade practices that infringe on the rights of consumers. RARIO refers to itself as a company engaged in the buying and selling of digital player cards and does not disclose on its website that it is in reality an NFT and cryptocurrency platform, the COF alleged. However, RARIO said, "We adhere to all the KYC requirements and fully comply with the applicable laws, including taxation." The letter alleged that the company has been engaging in unethical marketing practices and misleading customers in all of its transactions. "Customers purchase player cards in either INR or USD currency, which are loaded into their 'RAR
Gaming startup WinZO plans to invest USD 50 million (about Rs 410 crore), in the global gaming ecosystem as part of its flagship Game Developer Fund, the company said on Monday. The company expects to invest at least USD 10 million of the fund in US-based startups as part of the programme. "Indian gaming startup WinZO announced the fourth edition of its flagship Game Developer Fund with the largest ever corpus of USD 50 million to support the global gaming ecosystem. It expects to invest at least USD 10 million of the fund in US-based startups," the company said in a statement. WinZO is looking to invest the fund in startups across all forms of interactive entertainment-- game developers and publishers, economies around gaming, content creation, live-ops, and security. The games cover diverse genres from casual, action, sports to mid-core multiplayer games such as tennis, golf, more. "Given our platform play at WinZO where we have access to the performance of over 100 games by mor
The online gaming sector is a rapidly growing industry that has potential of contributing significantly to the country's goal of becoming a USD 1 trillion digital economy, generating substantial employment, and fostering innovation, a report said. Regulation of online gaming will not only open up economic opportunities but also address various social issues, a report titled 'Online Gaming in India: The Taxation Quandary' by Primus Partners said. Announcements in Union Budget 2023-24 are positive for the sector as it has addressed the persistent ask to incorporate the offset of losses in the calculation of gains from online games for income tax, it said. A pertinent issue relating to the implementation mechanism proposed in the Union Budget for TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) on online games has been highlighted in the report. "The issue has arisen due to amendments to section 194B under which online gaming is currently covered from April 1, 2023 and the separate provision on online ..
The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports hailed the Union government's move to appoint the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) as the nodal point for regulations in the online gaming sector. In its meeting here on Friday, the FIFS, formed in 2017 to create a thriving ecosystem for users and operators of fantasy sports, said it will help the sector, which contributes extensively to the country's economy. The meet was attended by Goa transport minister Mauvin Godinho, FIFS chairman Bimal Julka, director general Joy Bhattacharjya, and heads of several online gaming firms. Addressing the meet, Godinho said Goa was keen on attracting investments from the online gaming sector as the state is the best place for innovation. The meet deliberated on regulations for the online gaming industry in the Union Budget, the future of the Animation-Visual Effects-Gaming-Comics (AVGC) sector, and the appointment of MeitY as the nodal ministry for skill-based online games, an FIFS