The online gaming industry is booming in many parts of the world, particularly India. While traditional games like blackjack and poker are still part of modern online betting culture, there are countless new games launching all the time. Here’s some background on how online casinos have developed in India this century.
Birth of Online Casinos
The first online casinos appeared as early as 1994. The development of online games in India began in the early 2000s with consoles and desktops. At that time games were very expensive, but by the next decade became affordable. Some of the traditional games of India that have transformed into online games include Rummy and Teen Patti. Throughout this development India has maintained strict gambling laws going back to the Public Gambling Act of 1867.
The laws are left up to the states, but generally distinguish between games of skill and games of chance. Games of skill are not regulated, whereas games of chance are generally forbidden except in certain states. Rummy is considered a game that includes memorization skill, so it’s accepted. Poker is also considered a game of skill, along with betting on horse races. Lotteries are allowed under certain conditions. The popularity of social media has played a big role in popularizing online gaming, such as with poker. The spread of smartphones was another development that inspired online gaming as a popular pastime, leading Indian gaming companies to target the mobile market.
The Information Technology Act of 2000 set the parameters for online gambling, leaving it up to states and courts. Luckily for gaming companies and gamblers, the courts are not currently pursuing decisions on the matter. The result has been online gambling in India being banned in Maharashtra and only allowed in the states of Goa, Daman and Sikkim. In places where online betting is illegal, the fine can be as much as 100,000 Rupee per day or 5 years in prison.
Despite the laws, about half of betting in India is illegal, as offshore online casinos proliferate. One of the keys to this development is that the gambling laws in India are vague, which has opened the door for international operators to take advantage. Many of these offshore operations orginate from Sweden, Malta and the UK.
Online Gaming Technology Today
There are plenty of legitimate online gaming choices found in India. CasinoBetting.Live covers both the skills involved with online gaming and reviews of gambling sites. Many consumers like to play online tournaments for a fee and possible cash payouts. India’s youth under the age of 40 has widely embraced this pastime that is growing into an extremely lucrative industry. Some of the nation’s leading software game developers have included Casino Software India, Digient and Casino Game Developers.
The online gambling market was estimated to be worth $38 billion in 2015. In March 2018 CNBC reported on “Squawk Box” legalized sports gambling figures in which the World Cup value of worldwide wagers was $260 million, while the Super Bowl was $159 million. Overall, in 2020 EconoTimes reported the industry to be worth $60 billion annually in India.
One of the key attractions to online gaming is that players can compete in real-time. This interactivity makes for an exciting experience, allowing consumers to potentially spend less money on entertainment by staying at home. There are many games to explore that don’t cost anything, while there are still plenty of opportunities to make money. Some of the popular gaming genres these days for gamers who spend over a half hour per day of playing time include Action, Adventure, Card, Puzzle and Sports.
Why Cricket Attracts So Many Gamblers
Cricket is the most popular sport throughout Asia and is exceptionally huge in India. It’s also the most wagered sport in India, followed by football. India won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011 over Sri Lanka and remained competitive in the 2015 and 2019 seasons. Another reason cricket is popular with Indian online gamblers is because the game is so complex there are more different ways to bet on it than for most other sports. The Indian Premier League (IPL) games attract plenty of online wagering in India, as it’s the most popular cricket league in the world.
Bets are placed online before pro sporting events for numerous possiblities, such as points or goals. In-play betting, which involves placing wagers during a game’s half-time period, is becoming increasingly popular. There are several online bookmakers in India that accept the currency for betting, although they come with disclaimer risks about possible fines.
Where Online Gaming Technology is Moving
Online gaming is expected to grow in India with increasing internet use. Betting apps in iOS and Android versions that connect with live events are growing in popularity as well. These apps are often smaller versions of bigger betting sites and are used as promotional tools to attract more members. As more Indians use mobile devices than desktops, app developers continue to enter the gaming market. Virtual reality games will likely grow in popularity over the next decade due to the enjoyment of merging the physical and digital worlds.
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