Online gaming has soared in popularity on a global scale. Statista estimates that there are over a billion online gamers in the world and it’s projected to surpass over 1.3 billion in the next two years.
India now had over 420 million online gamers last year which was an 8% growth compared to the previous year. It was also reported that by the end of this year, this number is expected to grow up to 442 million.
Those numbers simply show how popular online gaming is in the country. That includes participating in online video games and other iGaming activities including sports and real money gaming.
The popularity of Gaming in India
India may not have the biggest iGaming market just yet, but the local industry is already estimated to be worth over 780 million USD. If there’s anything in particular that the locals are now giving more attention to, it’s mobile gaming.
The interest of many in mobile gaming can be attributed to multiple factors including the availability of budget-friendly yet powerful smartphone devices and better internet connectivity.
The mobile gaming sector alone in the country is estimated to be valued at around 780 million USD. Statista did report that the country now has over 420 million online gamers, and based on other reports, the majority of these players are mobile users.
Many of them love to play mobile games and even real money casino live games that are also part of the iGaming industry. Some of the popular mobile games downloaded on official platforms like the Apple App Store and Google Play Store are the following:
- PUBG: Mobile: 1 billion+ downloads
- Ludo King: 500 million+ downloads
- Among Us: 300 million+ downloads
- World Cricket Championship 3: 275 million+ downloads
- Genshin Impact: 120 million+ downloads
- Garena Free Fire: 88 million+ downloads
- Call of Duty: Mobile: 13.7 million+ downloads
- Asphalt 9: Legends: 1 million+ downloads
Other noteworthy popular mobile games in the country are Candy Crush Saga, Subway Surfers, Apex Legends Mobile, Pixel’s Uknown BattleGround, Mini Militia, and Roblox.
The Role of eSports in the Rise of iGaming in India
Last year, it was evident that the local esports industry is starting to gain significance in India with the first ever Commonwealth Esports Championship. In this stage, India was one of the well-performing teams and was able to bring a bronze medal home with the game DOTA 2.
Based on the State of Indian GFaming Report last year, the eSports industry has already reached a value of over 40 million USD and it’s estimated to blow up to 140 million USD by 2027 with a 32% CAGR.
They also reported that the country now has over 600,000 esports players, and this category continues to grow. It would grow up to 1.5 million by the end of the year 2027.
It’s no secret that Indians love to support themselves whether it’s about sports like cricket or esports tournaments. The country’s collective enthusiasm plays a pivotal role in stimulating the growth of the local eSports segment of the country.
In turn, this is also fueling iGaming activities that have something to do with eSports. There are now plenty of platforms online where locals could enjoy eSports iGaming to show support to their local teams and players, or to simply add more thrill to the tournaments they’re watching.
Challenges Faced by Gaming Companies in India
Even if India loves to play games, iGaming, in particular, can still be a taboo subject in the country. This is why many are still skeptical about allowing iGaming companies to offer their services to the locals.
There have been states that are working on regulating the industry, but there are also some that are pushing for a blanket ban on online games.
Aside from that, online gaming companies are also dealing with the issue of taxation. The proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate of 28% on online money gaming has led to debates. There are also debates on how to categorize skill-based and luck-based games.
Even if there’s been significant growth in the iGaming sector in the country, there’s still no law that can be used to regulate the industry. This is why iGaming is still considered to be in the gray area in India.
Wrapping Up
With everything we already know about India’s iGaming industry, we can say that it’s not going to be a fleeting trend. We can expect that the country will have more online gamers in the coming years which means that there will be more iGaming companies that will show their interest in the country.
For now, we can only wait and see how the national and local governments will navigate the growth of this industry.
Content Produced by Indian Clicks, LLC
