Like most of the rest of the world, Indians spent a lot of time at home in 2021. More so than ever, Indians discovered live casino games in their quest for entertainment as other forms of public entertainment were restricted.
A website which follows live gaming in India, LiveOnlineCasino.in, has reported huge growth in the Indian live gaming sector throughout the year. This has spiked particularly during the suspension of the IPL recently.
Searches for Live Casino Skyrocket Across India
Searches on Google Trends show that players in Karnataka ranked top for live gaming in India in 2021. They were followed by players in:
- Gujarat
- Delhi
- Kerala
- West Bengal
Players all over India are discovering live casino games, but players in these regions performed the most searches for “live casino” across the country.
Search trends also show a spike in interest in January of 2021. Thereafter, searches cooled off, but have trended up again throughout the rest of the year.
What Is Causing the Rise in Interest in Live Dealer Games?
Multiple factors are at play in the rise of interest in live games across India.
- Closures of the usual entertainment venues and outlets have caused many players to search for alternative means of entertainment online. Naturally, live casino games have gotten some of this interest.
- The growing number of Indians with access to high-speed internet capable of streaming live dealer games also plays a role. This is spreading quickly and millions of Indians are expected to come online via mobile devices each year going forward.
- A liberalization of attitudes towards gambling across the subcontinent also plays a role. Live casinos and other forms of gambling are becoming more culturally acceptable. There’s even been talk of legalization and regulation by the Indian government, although these things inevitably take time.
Ultimately, these aren’t the only factors at play, but they do a good job of summarizing why live dealer games have become so popular in Indian throughout the previous years and in particular during 2021.
What Live Games Do Indians Prefer?
India has its own unique culture and history, and the games played here aren’t necessarily the most popular games elsewhere.
Two of the most consistently popular live dealer games in India are Teen Patti and Rummy. These are available at many live casinos for Indian players. They’re specific to the region and players in many other countries aren’t aware of these games to the same degree as Indian players are.
Digging into Google Trends again, it can be seen that:
Searches for Teen Patti ticked along at a steady pace throughout 2021 and exploded in May. The search trends show a steady interest in this live game throughout the year.
- Searches for Rummy have remained popular, but they have declined throughout most of 2021. There was strong interest in this game in 2021, interest dipped in the early part of the year, but searches have picked up pace again in April and May.
- Searches for more global casino games such as “live roulette” have been up and down throughout the past year, but again, searches have exploded upwards in the past eight weeks or so.
This is a clear sign that Indians at home are playing live casino games for entertainment and possibly to win some money. Interest in live games will no doubt intensify and remain after things return to normal as many Indians try them for the first time.
Where Do Indians Play Live Casino Games?
There aren’t many live online casinos based in India due to the uncertainty surrounding law and regulations in most states. However, there are plenty of casinos based abroad in places like the UK and Europe that accept Indian players.
Typically, Indians will have access to the popular games mentioned above as well as others like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and some other games. You can learn more about this in this article titled 3 things to know about gambling in India.
Special Live Games for Indian Players
There have even been some live games designed especially for Indian players. For example, “Cricket Roulette” was recently released exclusively by Authentic Gaming and was designed with Indian players in mind. It blends elements of India’s favourite sport, that being cricket, with live casino roulette. Players can view the scores of real games as they spin the roulette wheel. This game was designed and launched especially for the IPL and will remain online despite its suspension.
Live Gaming in India Is Here to Stay
Stats for the Indian gambling industry are difficult to come by as the government does not collect them officially, but one thing is clear; Indians are spending billions of rupiahs at live dealer casinos on games like those mentioned above, and interest is growing by the day. This is a trend that most analysts expect to continue throughout 2021 and beyond.