The Changing Scenario of Online Poker Industry

The Changing Scenario of Online Poker Industry

Authored by Amin Rozani, Co-Founder & MD, The Spartan Poker

The current era of digitization has seen Poker’s entry as one of the potential players in the digital market space, and the last few years have witnessed a revolutionary growth in terms of acceptance and numbers. Falling under the huge umbrella of online gaming, poker industry in the recent years has garnered a lot of popularity and attention among its players. This has led to the advent of a number of online poker sites coming on board and providing a wide range of tournaments and challenges for poker enthusiasts worldwide. It has also engaged and intrigued several entities to invest and further explore the online poker sector. The online poker has turned into a business involving billions of dollars consistently, despite the stigma attached to poker in the country.  

In 2015, when the Supreme Court refused to provide clarity on the legality of rummy for stakes, it saw an unforeseen boost and since then, there has been a sudden proliferation of online poker websites in India. The year 2003 saw a rise in live television telecasts of poker events like Texas Hold’em gaining a lot of popularity in the US. The craze caught up in India a few years later, as non-resident Indians and students returning from America started hosting poker nights at their houses. Gradually as the word spread, many casinos in Goa began hosting poker tournaments in the year 2008, followed by other players joining the league in 2011. 

While games involving “skill and intellect” are excluded from the ambit of gambling, in most states (except Assam and Odisha), there is no clarity on which games fall into this category, in all states except West Bengal (the gaming statute in Bengal exempts poker, rummy, bridge, and nap). Metro cities such as Bangalore, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad have now started to welcome online poker to an extent where the opening of new poker clubs is expected every month. The ever growing number of players is a testament to the incredible popularity the sport has gained. Largely perceived as an intelligent sport, the educated, elite, and young audience have been enthusiastically partaking in the sport, which is a direct indication towards the inherent appeal it has in the country. With the introduction of online poker portals increasing, the risk for frauds and cyber security have also increased. Having said that, there are a couple of renowned poker portals which guarantee both safe transactions and promised prize money on time. Amongst these is The Spartan Poker, one of the most trusted online poker websites by many poker aficionados across the country, believes in procuring the faith of the players as an essential part of the online poker business to engage more and more players and evolve. 

The current potential revenue of online Indian poker websites is a whopping amount of Rs 1000 crore per year, which is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Over the years, the poker industry has tried to focus on changing the perception that people have had about poker and creating awareness about the high degree of skill it involves. Estimates say that around close to a million players in India currently play real-money poker on a regular basis. One of the leading poker gaming Portals. In India, The Spartan Poker conducts multiple poker tournaments and activities in collaboration with IITs and MBA colleges during college fests for students to try their hands at poker as a skill based game, which involves a lot of strategy and risk management expertise. The game is not only limited to male players but also witnesses a lot of talented women participants, providing them with a platform to showcase their poker knowledge. The previous year witnessed several innovative entrepreneurs flock this industry with immense enthusiasm and an arsenal driven by inventiveness. In the coming years, a boost with potential competitors entering the poker scene in India can be expected. An industry that was pegged at about $110 –120 million last year, seems to stay here for a longer period and flourish.

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