It was perhaps inevitable that the world’s largest cricket event would be canceled among an unprecedented public health crisis in India. The debate has now turned to whether it should have proceeded at all.
The IPL will no doubt take place at a safer time and place, but meantime, Indians are left looking for alternative entertainment. It’s also a little-known-fact that the IPL is a huge event for Indian gamblers who are now turning to alternative ways to enjoy some real money risk. The data shows that live online casinos are one of the most popular choices for those who would otherwise have been punting on the Indian Premier League.
What Happened? Will the IPL Proceed at Another Time?
The IPL was canceled due to a surge in new cases of the coronavirus across India. The nation is experiencing its most deadly wave yet, and officials deemed it unsafe for the IPL to continue at this time.
It’s expected that the tournament will resume in September 2021, although this will depend on the status of the health crisis at that time.
The IPL is the most-watched sporting event in India. Large crowds gather together in homes, bars, and cafes to watch it, not to mention the packed stadiums where the games take place. It was inevitable that such an event would face disruption in the face of a massive virus surge.
Authentic’s Cricket Roulette Live for the IPL
One operator that will feel the brunt of the event’s cancelation is Authentic Gaming. They worked on the development and rollout of a special live roulette game especially for the IPL 2021; Cricket Roulette.
Authentic Gaming is a casino roulette specialist, and this game was launched to coincide with the beginning of the IPL. It was designed especially for Indian cricket fans and was timed perfectly to launch at the beginning of the IPL 2021.
Of course, nobody could have foreseen the deadly new wave of virus cases plunging the country into chaos and leading to widespread shutdowns. The new game will remain live, and it will showcase the scores of other cricket games happening around the world until the IPL eventually takes place at another time.
Live Gaming In India - Stats and Facts
If operators are launching live games especially for Indian players, it must be a large and lucrative market, correct? An analysis of the stats shows exactly that.
- It’s estimated that the Indian gambling market is worth approximately $60 billion. A large percentage of this is moving online to live casinos and sportsbooks.
- According to Google’s keyword tool, the term “live casino” gets up to 10, 000 searches per month in India. Terms like “live roulette” receive up to 1, 000 searches alone.
- Between 2018-2019, more than 100 million Indians came online for the first time. If we assume that a conversative 1% of them enjoy some form of gambling, it’s easy to see how rapidly the Indian live gaming sector will grow in coming years. Right now, the nation enjoys 45% internet penetration. There’s a lot of potential growth still here.
- Live gaming is most popular in large, populated states like Delhi and Karnataka. More players searched for “live casino” from these areas than anywhere else in India.
- As the Indian live casino sector grows, operators continue to develop games especially for Indians. Cricket Roulette is one such example. Other games like live dealer Teen Patti are popping up at casinos across the web.
Finding Safe Live Casinos in India
As with any growing industry with a lot of money involved, there are plenty of scams online. It’s super important to find safe and secure Indian live casinos to enjoy the games mentioned above. Players should use this checklist when assessing casino sites.
- Licences - Unfortunately, India does not have a federal iGaming regulator. Therefore, it’s not possible to rely on licences issued by the Indian government. However, players can look at the other licences issued by the UKGC, MGA, and other respected iGaming regulators. If a casino has these, it’s probably honest.
- Reviews - Reading reviews written by experienced casino professionals is helpful in gaining accurate information based on real experience. For example, you can learn more about Jeetplay, a popular Indian casino site, by reading the review linked to above.
- Games - Checking the games offered is a great way to assess how trustworthy an operator is. Offering games from top-rated live software companies like Evolution and Authentic Gaming is a great sign.
The IPL Is Canceled, But Live Gaming Is Not
In conclusion, the IPL won’t be happening anytime soon, and so betting on it isn’t an option for the foreseeable future. However, this isn’t stopping Indians with an itch for real-money entertainment. They’re turning in drives to live casinos and spending their Rupees on fun live dealer games.