India, April 24 -- The freshly-minted online gaming rules unequivocally recognise registered esports as a legitimate sporting discipline, the industry said on Thursday, adding that the overall framework will prevent proxy real-money platforms from masquerading as esports. 

Some, however, drew attention to key gaps such as a lack of clarity on financial frameworks faced by esports teams and players, and flagged ongoing challenges in how banks differentiate between esports earnings and real money gaming.

The comments come in the backdrop of the Centre on Wednesday notifying long-awaited rules to operationalise the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, paving the way for the sector's digital-first regulator, 'online gaming au...