Gaming
TORF extends support to online gaming regulation
NEW DELHI: With the Tamil Nadu government taking an increasingly hard line on online gambling, The Online Rummy Federation (TORF) has stated that it welcomes the move to regulate the sector. At the same time, it wants to ensure that any new regulation is not prohibitive and builds in protections for consumers and operations of legitimate operators.
The statement comes in the wake of additional advocate general Sricharan Rangarajan informing the Madurai Bench of the Madras high court that the state government was actively considering regulating the online skill gaming sector.
“The government is worried about the recent suicide reports related to online gaming. These recent events are of grave concern to TORF and its members. Over the last two years, TORF members have taken extraordinary and voluntary steps to self-regulate and give players the tools to play responsibly,” the federation said in a press note.
The key areas of consideration will include: KYC verification; minimum age; player protection requirements; mandatory responsible playing features like setting daily monthly limits, self-exclusion etc; advertising guidelines; no BOTS on sites; SSL level encryption; and other such requirements to ensure player experience is safe, fair and enables responsible gaming.
The federation added, “We strongly feel that the government should regulate this sector to ensure only legitimate, legal operators who follow strict protocols are allowed to operate and a clear distinction drawn from those who try and operate above the law. Tens of thousands of players from Tamil Nadu enjoy playing online rummy safely and responsibly. Effective regulation will let the vast majority of the players who play responsibly continue to enjoy the game, protect the players that are vulnerable, and lead to substantial additional revenues for the government.”
It also suggested that the government of Tamil Nadu should set up a committee to review, discuss and propose a regulatory framework for games of skill, similar to Nagaland and Sikkim. A discussion for a proposal to regulate this industry can address many concerns including the following key points: setting time and monetary limits for players on a daily/weekly/monthly basis; stronger KYC checks and social profiling of users to ensure that players are financially stable adults; strict advertising standards to promote gaming as entertainment and not a way to earn money; an annual license fee and a player support contribution to help vulnerable players.
“TORF is committed to providing its full support to the government in creating a safe and responsible gaming industry. We have already made an official representation to the chief minister to kindly consider regulating the sector as a win-win solution,” promised CEO Sameer Barde.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
