In India, a Guide to Real Money Gaming and Online Gambling

When it comes to gambling, India has some of the most distinctive legal jurisprudence in the world. Not only do our laws divide gambling into two types: skill games and chance games, but the Constitution also gives states the authority to regulate world777 gambling.

The Public Gaming Act of 1867, which established a division between skill and chance games, was India’s main gambling law. Despite the fact that the law was only relevant to provinces during the British era, many states accepted the PGA as their own state laws; others, such as Uttar Pradesh, merely adopted the PGA. Furthermore, our statutes and Supreme Court decisions have affirmed this distinction.

To distinguish between games of skill and games of chance, Indian courts use the dominating factor or predominance test. It ultimately boils down to whether aspect — skill or chance — is the most important in determining the game’s outcome.

The option of going digital

As a result, they’ve begun to use the phrases gaming and world777 gambling interchangeably, which is problematic! Unfortunately, many industry pundits are now suggesting that all sorts of real money based games should be outright outlawed simply because they have some similarities to online gambling!

Equipping skill-based real money gaming with gambling, in my opinion, is equivalent to comparing apples and oranges! It is illogical. But why am I saying this? First and foremost, in skill gaming, the most important factor that any gamer would want to master would be the skill, strategies, and in-depth knowledge of the specific game he or she is playing — because, at the end of the day, skill and competence will obviously matter the most in order to win or perform optimally.

However, in any sort of online gambling, the most important component in winning money is luck or probability (counting the odds) — which implies that talent alone does not ensure gambling success.

The gaming industry thrives on a lot of enthusiasm, involvement, and energy.

The Rajasthan High Court declared in the Ravindra Singh Chaudhary vs. Union of India case in 2019 that Fantasy Sports did not constitute gambling because players would need skills equivalent to those of a real sports team management.

The Tamil Nadu High Court has overturned the state’s ban on online card games such as Rummy and Poker. These are significant improvements in terms of distinguishing between ‘games of chance’ and ‘games of skill,’ and they will help to promote a positive narrative in favor of gaming over gambling.

In India, Fantasy Sports is revolutionizing the gambling industry

India’s gaming industry is about to undergo a transformation. The Indian gaming landscape has provided developers with a wealth of options to create games for Indian players. Sponsorships of the prominent cricket league, IPL, have changed over the years, from DLF, a real estate business in 2008 to Vivo, a mobile manufacturer from 2016 to 2019. The recent withdrawal of Vivo and the entry of Dream11, a fantasy sports platform, demonstrate the paradigm shift.

Market for fantasy sports –

The user base of the fantasy sports website has grown from 20 lakh in June 2016 to an incredible 90 million in December 2019. By the end of 2020, it is likely to surpass 100 million. Online fantasy sports providers’ gross income increased by Rs 1,480 crore. This is a staggering 161 percent increase in a single fiscal year. According to projections, the industry will set a benchmark of $3.7 billion by the end of 2024. This segment currently has a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32 percent.

The Indian gaming industry —

India has 1/10th of the world’s gaming population and the world’s second-largest smartphone userbase! Consumer demand for mobile content soared after the cost of data dropped to a quarter of its previous level. By 2021, yearly revenue from mobile gaming is expected to exceed $1 billion, making India’s mobile game business the world’s fastest-growing in terms of revenue.

There are about 222 million gamers in India. They play mobile games for an average of 42 minutes per day! In India, the number of game production companies has exploded. They have increased by 11 times in the last decade, and are expected to reach 275 by 2020.

The widespread availability of the internet and the low cost of smartphones have resulted in widespread adoption and an ever-growing user base for online sports platforms. Following the traction, there is criticism.

How Real money gaming’ can change the game for brands and agencies

Over the last few years, India’s gaming industry has developed at an exponential rate, with over 450 million active players and broadcasters and more on the way. As the world777 gaming graph continues to rise, industry stakeholders are already considering the next step: Real Money Gaming (RMG), which refers to real money spent and earned in online casino games, daily fantasy sports, regulated sports betting, and lotteries.

As the gaming business grows, everyone from world777 gaming companies and advertisers to A&M agencies and industry analysts is investing big on this area. According to Shivanandan Pare, Executive Director & CEO of Gaussian Networks (Adda52.com and Addagames.in), there is growing demand in skill-based games like ‘Poker,’ which have a good chance of profit. It is, in fact, a part of a larger ecosystem. “Gaming is already bigger than Hollywood and the music industry combined,” he says. If 2010-2020 was the decade of streaming services, I believe 2020-2030 will be the decade of gaming in entertainment and pop culture.”

This increased interest in gaming by many groups, both businesses and customers, according to Pare, will result in a synergy between diverse brands that may utilise the universality of gaming as a platform to promote their own enterprises. Furthermore, people who play RMG are more likely to have higher discretionary incomes, which could result in a profitable return on advertising to that demographic.

Fantasy Sports Games

Agencies are also concentrating their efforts on world777 gaming, which is expected to be worth $300 billion by 2022. India accounts just a fragment of this, with a market share of about 1%. Given that Indian gambling companies spent Rs 1400 crore on advertising in 2021 alone, the figure is nothing to sneeze at.

“It’s logical for gaming businesses to convert casual gamers, who account for the great majority of gamers, into RMG consumers. The Indian gaming sector is still under-monetized, with only 13-15 percent of players paying to play. According to Ramsai Panchapakesan, Senior Vice President and National Head Of Integrated Media Buying at Zenith, “that’s about 96-100 million individuals in the country, and while that’s a significant number, it could be a lot bigger.”

As we all know, India’s online gaming industry is exploding. According to forecasts from consulting firm Deloitte, India’s online gaming sector would increase at a CAGR of 40% to $2.8 billion by 2022, with skill games driving the majority of the development.

The majority of these synergies take place online. Industry insiders expect on-ground events to attract brand association now that things have returned to normal. “I believe that people are wired to desire to meet in person. Of course, digital has become a part of every activity now, and people will still play online, but we’re going to see a lot more people stepping out to play and engage with the community,” says Pare, whose company recently completed a year-long poker championship – Adda52 Champions Leaderboard (ACL) 2021 – that saw players from all walks of life and across the country compete for a spot on the leader boards, with the championship round held physically in Goa.