FIFS, Meta compile user manual for fantasy sports platforms in India

The guide gives an insight into what exactly a fantasy sport is--game of skill that's distinct from various similar formats and is not related to betting, gambling or wagering

The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), a self-regulatory industry body for fantasy sports platforms, on Thursday released a ‘User Guide To Fantasy Sports,’ compiled with support from social media giant Meta (formerly Facebook). The manual is aimed at creating a healthy ecosystem for responsible play on fantasy sports platforms.

Anwar Shirpurwala, chief executive officer (CEO), FIFS, said, “The Fantasy sports industry is undergoing revolutionary changes, especially after the recent announcements made by the central government including formation of an Animation, Visual, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) promotion task force, 5G rollout and others to help make India a global hub of this sector as it is currently the largest fantasy sports market in the world with 13 crore users countrywide.”

He added, “As an organisation, Meta has developed numerous industry-first capabilities over the years and continues to push the boundaries to bring customer delight, create shared value in the social media space and we believe it will further help our industry create and nurture personal connections with the fantasy sports user community.”

The guide gives an insight into what exactly a fantasy sport is, that it is a game of skill and how it is distinct from various similar formats and is not related to betting, gambling or wagering and has been recognised as a legitimate business activity protected under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution of India in multiple judgements by various courts.

The term ‘fantasy sports,’ describes a wide range of contests in which participants construct virtual teams to compete against other participants’ teams, using statistics generated by real-life athletes in team-based sporting events.

Indian Courts have held fantasy sports to be a game that occurs over a predetermined number of rounds in which participating users select, build, and act as managers of their virtual teams. The results are tabulated based on statistics, scores, achievements, and results generated by the real sports persons or teams in officially sanctioned or professionally organized sporting events.

The user guide also mentions what all the courts have said in the various judgements granting legal recognition to the fantasy sports industry thereby extending the constitutional protection.

In a judgement dated July 30th, 2021, the Supreme Court had upheld the legality of fantasy sports by stating that the issue of whether fantasy sports format amounts to gambling or betting or wagering is no longer a question to be examined. Besides, the High Courts of Rajasthan, Punjab & Haryana and the Bombay High Court have also upheld the legality of fantasy sports as being legitimate businesses entitled to protection under Article 19(1)(g) and Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

FIFS said that going forward, the user guide will serve as a practical compendium that can be referred to by various stakeholders and the general public to provide all the relevant information and different aspects about this rapidly growing sunshine industry.