Member Zone
Free Zone

Nazara and Delta nuked!

By Ruma Dubey
about 1 day ago

The clearance of the Online Gaming Bill by the Government of India triggered selling pressure in listed gaming companies today. Shares of Nazara Technologies and Delta fell as investors weighed the impact of higher compliance costs, licensing norms, and restrictions on real-money games.

Sector experts note that while short-term revenue may be hit, especially in real-money and fantasy gaming formats, the Bill provides much-needed regulatory legitimacy. Over the medium term, analysts expect this to attract institutional investors and create a level playing field for credible operators.

A quick understanding of the provisions made in the Online Gaming Bill: 

  1. Central Licensing Authority – Mandatory licensing for all online gaming operators.

  2. Taxation Framework – Unified GST/tax regime on winnings and operator revenues.

  3. Age & Play Restrictions – Safeguards for minors, limits on playtime and spending.

  4. Advertising Code – Ban on misleading ads, mandatory disclaimers.

  5. Penalties – Heavy fines and shutdown orders for non-compliant operators.

  6. Esports Recognition – Distinction between games of skill (esports, casual gaming) and games of chance (betting, gambling).

Nazara, the top loser on the BSE currently was quick to issue a clarification stating that the majority of its business segments – including gamified early learning, esports, and casual gaming do not fall under the real-money gaming category impacted by the new Bill. Nazara emphasized that only a small portion of revenues comes from real-money gaming formats, and that it has already been working on compliance-ready structures in anticipation of regulation.
 
The clarification helped partially ease investor concerns, though near-term stock volatility is expected until the fine print of implementation and taxation rules becomes clearer.

Delta Corp, which derives a significant share of its revenues from casinos and real-money gaming, saw sharper declines on concerns over stricter compliance and taxation. OnMobile Global, with its mobile-based casual gaming and entertainment offerings, also traded weak in sympathy with the sector.

1205.6 (-16.05)