In India, the small northeastern state of Nagaland has begun licensing online gaming operators for the game of poker with the first license going to K365 Web Assets Private Limited and its domain at Khelo365.com.

According to a report from Asia Gaming Brief, the licensing, which is a first for India, follows the passage in April of the Nagaland Prohibition Of Gambling And Promotion And Regulation Of Online Games Of Skill Act 2016 legislation while operator Club Empire Tech Private Limited has also been issued with poker-only authorization.

“This is a huge boost to the skill gaming industry and has [a] tremendous future in India,” said Swapnil Chaturvedi from Club Empire Tech Private Limited.

The state reportedly revealed that it has issued around ten additional provisional letters of intent to operators hoping to secure a Nagaland State Lotteries license but that these firms will only pass the final hurdle after having their random number generation technology and software certifications examined and undergone a full review of their incorporation and tax-related documents.

The fourth smallest state in India, Nagaland reportedly explained that the licenses allow operators to offer their services to players and advertise in any Indian territory where such games and activities are permitted.

“We are happy that the Nagaland government has finally issued the license to regulate online skill games,” said Vinod Manoharan, Managing Director for K365 Web Assets Private Limited. “We are proud to be the first company to have procured the license and to have submitted all our documents to a regulatory authority. The license issued by the Nagaland government will end the debate on the legality of online poker once and for all and will enable this industry to boom.”