Are Online Casinos Still Popular In India?
Live casino games gained huge popularity in India, which led to game studios producing Hindi speaking games as well as other tailored games for Indian customers.
Games
Unlike anything we witnessed before, Covid-19 had a polarizing effect on the global entertainment and hospitality industry. With so many cases, second only to the United States, India was certainly one of the countries that were hit hardest.
As everything, barring essential services, was closed, and a nationwide lockdown began, India’s retail casino sector took a massive blow. A beneficiary of the lockdowns and the pandemic were online casinos. Thus, the online gambling industry in India started booming.
It’s no secret that many millions of Indians are fond of gambling, whether it’s a street game like Jhandi Munda or a bet on cricket. Of course, these activities were stripped away, which led enthusiastic players into the world of online gambling. Live casino games gained huge popularity in India, which led to game studios producing Hindi speaking games as well as other tailored games for Indian customers.
Even though the government has looked to curb and regulate and online gambling, they have impleneted a huge tax tarriff on gambling operators’ revenue. Therefore, no operators have tried to operate legally in the market. Furthermore, there currently isn’t any proper licensing process now is there any proper foundation for a proposed regualted gambling market. So, are online casinos still popular in India?
Retail Returns
Retail land based casinos are back to full capacity post pandemic. According to Trip Advisor, the top five casinos in India are:
- Winn Grand 7 Casino
- Deltin Royale
- Casino Palms
- Deltin Jaqk
- Casino Pride
But even so, most of these boat casinos are situated in Goa and require travel and accomodation just to gamble. Additionally, the focus of India’s top casinos is primarily table and card games like blackjack, roulette, teen patti and andar bahar. Slots, which are a feature of Las Vegas casinos, are not pushed into the limelight. Moreover, you have to wait to sit at tables, during peak hours.
Online Remains
Throughout most of India, there are no regulations related to online gambling. With a largely anti-gambling stance, the Government does not allow online casino operators to have locally-registered companies, but it hasn’t managed to deter offshore casinos from serving Indian players.
While there is little information available on the value of the online gambling market in India, it’s fair to say that the industry is quite prosperous. Hence why the governement legislated a high gambling tax.
One thing is for sure, many Indians have experienced the easy access and cheaper options that online casinos provide. So, they are more inclined to gamble more frequently online. This is likely because online casinos deliver a different package and experience.
Online Casino Features
There are many reasons why internet casinos are thriving in India. Whether it’s a matter of convenience or a better game offering, online casinos cater to a wide spectrum of customers.
Game selection - Certain sites boast over 4,000+ games, ranging from slots and lotto to andar bahar and live game shows. Land-based casinos simply cannot compete with the variety and quantity that is offered online. Moreover, you don’t need to wait for a seat to free up, to be able to gamble.
Available everywhere - Most of India’s retail casinos are in Goa, so it’s not convenient or practical to visit them. There are no such issues when playing online. Other than a few states that have banned online gambling, you can play from anywhere in the country. You can even play on any mobile device, which makes online gambling very convenient.
Sports Betting - Several of India’s best online casinos also offer sports betting. This means you can place your cricket or football bets in between playing your favourite casino games.
Better bonuses - It costs less to operate an online casino, so players are treated to more comps. These range from no deposit offers, cashback and large matched deposit bonuses.
Larger jackpots - Online progressive jackpot slots offer some of the largest payouts in this industry. India’s land-based casinos cannot match this mega jackpot potential.
