India now stands as one of the top five gaming markets around the world, and the growth of this mobile-first market is boosted by the availability of affordable digital tools complemented by data packs offered in the country.
Online gaming industry growing quickly, especially in India
The past couple of years has seen a rise in the number of consumers making the shift towards digital experiences, be it for work or school, and recreation. This is especially true for the online gaming industry, which has already achieved “new highs” globally as more people start playing games on real money online casino in the safety of their homes during the lockdowns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Government estimates there are now 365 million mobile gamers in the country, and that number isn’t going down anytime soon.
So “why do we like it [online gaming] so much?” In a piece for BW Disrupt, Upsparks co-founder Mohamad Faraz makes an attempt to answer the question.
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The rise in gaming in India, according to Faraz, can be attributed to several factors—foremost of which is the easy access to affordable digital tools as well as data packages on smartphones. Currently, consumers in India are already using 14.5GB of data on a monthly basis, with three out of four Indian gamers playing at least twice a day. Even fans of numbers-drawing games are turning to Indian lottery online as a way to help them feel a sense of control in these uncertain times.
“As a mobile first country, we rely a lot on the decent availability of the internet, covering most of the geography. Not only that, but the extreme portability also adds to the convenience of playing anytime, anywhere. Phones are more affordable now than ever, new technology begetting cyclical purchases every two years, not to mention with better graphics almost comparable to consoles and optimized for gameplay mechanics,” Faraz wrote.
Rise in mobile device use drives gaming growth: ENV Media
Faraz isn’t the first industry expert to denote the key factors driving India’s online gambling market size. An earlier analysis by ENV Media, a company engaged in lead generation and performance marketing in the iGaming industry, pointed out that “the natural growth of India’s online gambling market is attributed mostly to better internet penetration and rise in mobile device usage.”
And it’s not just the low-cost smartphones, there’s also the availability of modern transaction methods like e-wallets and vouchers that enable safe deposits and withdrawals on online platforms as well as the sites’ diversified monetization structures coupled with the growing number of localized content, according to analysts at ENV Media.
The Indian online gaming industry is steadily growing, to say the least—with user penetration expected to hit 16.1 percent out of the total population by 2025, up from the current 12.6 percent. As Faraz pointed out in his piece:
“The confluence of all these factors creates the perfect environment for developers as well as startups to target mobile gamers and create more complex and innovative mobile entertainment assets. While simpler mobile games including those which have evolved from the traditional board games attract a regular loyalty from the older generation, India is also where there are no hard stop laws concerning online gaming as yet. This also encourages players to put their money where their mouth is with reliable payment platforms helping them play their favourite games better at a nominal premium. The party gets better when everyday players find a way to monetise their skill on various platforms.”
