Once again, a high court has ruled in favour of Dream11 and stated that the fantasy gaming company offers a game of skill, and hence is not gambling. The Rajasthan High Court on Friday dismissed a petition alleging that Dream11 offers gambling services and is also evading taxes. Being a game of mere skill, as has been ruled by multiple high courts and upheld by the Supreme Court, Dream11’s services do not constitute gambling, the Rajasthan HC declared, rubbishing the plea. The fact that Dream11 and other fantasy gaming platforms are "self-regulating" via the Federation of India Fantasy Sports (FIFS) has helped this time. To be clear, the court did not rely on this self-regulatory mechanism to dismiss the petition against Dream11 — it didn't need to do this, since there is sufficient legal precedent in favour of Dream11. However, it's worth noting that the court saw self-regulatory mechanism in a positive light. In its submissions, Dream11 said it does not function in a “total regulatory vacuum”, and that the fantasy gaming industry self-regulates itself via FIFS. Founded in 2017, the federation — of which Dream11 is the only founding member — is a Section 8 company formed for “self-regulation and promotion of best practices in fantasy sports and contests offered in India”. Some of its members are MyTeam11, My11Circle, Fancy11, and Fancode. A high court looking upon the self-regulatory body favorably adds some credibility to it that might come in handy in future disputes. The court said its “independent…
