Gaming disorder increases during pandemic

• Gaming addiction, a disorder is quickly growing as the pandemic spurred an increased use of Internet devices.
• According to the All India Gaming Federation, India’s online gaming industry is expected to be worth ₹15,500 crore by 2023.
• A 2019 survey by the U.S.-based Limelight Networks found that India had the second largest number of gamers after South Korea.
• The World Health Organization categorised gaming disorder as a mental health condition in 2018.

Legal status of gaming in India

• In India, legal focus has been on recent laws in the southern States seeking to ban online games such as rummy, poker or even fantasy sports which offer prize money or financial stakes.
• Last week, the Kerala High Court quashed such a law in the State, accepting the industry’s stance that, as games of skill rather than chance, they should not trigger bans on gambling.