India has always been a country with a peculiar relationship with gambling on the internet. The lack of legislation explicitly prohibiting this activity effectively allows players to explore a plethora of offshore sites. According to the Indian Casino Club in Q1 and Q2 of 2020, all online gaming statistics have seen a jump. The factors contributing to this change are plentiful, but we believe three of them deserve most of the credit.
Casino Closures
Since land-based venues in Goa and Sikkim have temporarily stopped their operations, many Indian gaming aficionados have turned towards digital versions of their favorite games. This phenomenon, best known as ‘forced digitalization’, resulted in many sites reporting increases in traffic. Some of the most staggering changes are:
- Glaws – 20% increase in transactions, 25% in traffic
- Poker Gangal – 15% more traffic, ~100% longer average time spent on site
- Games2Win – 25% increase in overall player count
Gambling Operators Manning Multiple Verticals at the Same Time
Indians are known as some of the most avid sports bettors on the globe. Cricket and football take the cake when it comes to the punters’ favorite sports. Rugby and basketball have also become hot commodities in the last five or so years. With the sports world being mostly on hold, bettors turned to other options. Fortunately for them, these options were sitting right under their nose.
Most operators offer both sports betting services and casino games at the same time. This made the transition silky smooth, especially with some bonuses for existing players. With such strong incentives, gaming sites effectively ‘recycled’ their sports betting audience and stayed afloat during this recession.
Branded Slots
The gaming industry has long been intertwined with various forms of entertainment. Branded slots are perhaps the best example of this fruitful relationship. By purchasing the rights to turn popular movies, video games, and bands into unique slot titles, Indian casino sites are making a significant contribution to the whole industry.
Many younger people who have never played casino games before are often fascinated by the opportunity to enjoy some of their favorite works of art. Titles such as Resident Evil, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Scarface, and others seem to be every site’s new favorite weapon.
Aside from lucrative bonuses and lots of payment options, you can expect Indian online casinos to use branded slots as their foremost means of attracting new customers. Different titles can be used for different target groups, which leaves marketing teams a whole lot of wiggle room.
