Why did the fau-g developer get defamation notices from ‘avid rummy players’?

Classic _copy-paste behavioural trend_. So why is Gondal and his game, FAU-G, being targeted? REAL MONEY GAMING “There are apps that let people indulge in gambling but they call them

something else. They are calling them ‘Real Money Gaming’, which is a made up term by this industry,” Gondal explains. We spoke with him to understand the context for this whole saga and why

six people might have grown so upset with his tweets, statements and his Medianama article as to send him legal notices. “Gambling is prohibited in varying degrees all across the country,”

he said. “So when I called these apps a form of gambling it was bound to cause some heartburn.” Gondal is often described as the “father of Indian gaming industry”. He sold his first

entrepreneurial venture, IndiaGames, to the Walt Disney Company. Then he founded GOQii and nCORE Games, which operate in the healthcare and gaming sectors, respectively. Gondal said there

was big money to be made in ‘Real Money Gaming’ apps, which are based on speculative predictions and betting. “Such apps are regulated worldwide in the category of gambling. Even Google and

Apple app stores don’t allow these apps to be hosted, so users have to download .apk files from the company website in order to install them.” As a gamer, Vishal said it hurt him to see

actual skill-based games being classified with games which are luck-based and speculative and which are being passed off in the competitive gaming or ‘e-Sports’ category. In a skill-based

game, he explained, the player has the choice to affect their victory or loss while climbing up a learning curve after playing it multiple times. “These other betting apps don’t have that

element of skill,” he said. “Plus, they can become addictive and genuinely harmful because people can gamble away their entire life savings. We need proper centralized regulation for such

apps. This is corrupting our young citizens.” But his own game, FAU-G, also lets people spend money? Gondal replied that the money spent on his app is to buy digital products. “In the games

we develop, we allow users to spend money to buy gun skins and different gear for their characters,” he explained. “We don’t allow reselling for a profit and we don’t say we will double

someone’s money if they play our game. Our games also have appropriate age ratings implemented by Google, Apple. People need to understand there’s a difference between actual games and

gambling.” Speaking of regulation, currently it’s left to each state to make laws allowing or banning gambling within its territory. With online apps coming in, those boundaries don’t really

matter and there is a vital need for central regulation, especially for online gaming. Industry bodies such as the All India Gaming Federation, Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports, and The

Online Rummy Federation _have adopted_ good governance, ethical measures, and consumer-centric initiatives for apps that have a speculative element to them. On the other hand, there are

bodies like the Esports Federation of India which represent games that are skill-based. The two sides are locked in battle: one says speculative gaming has an element of skill to it, so it

should be allowed. The other side contends that gambling shouldn’t be clubbed with skill-based games. This is far from over. _Salil Ahuja contributed reporting._