The online gaming market has been witnessing great traction in India. With India becoming an emergent market for online gaming commingled with the advancement in technology, we can say that the poker industry also underwent tremendous evolution and has become one of the growing markets. As per a report by KPMG, the Indian online gaming industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22 %. The online gaming industry is expected to reach 11,880 Cr. by 2023 from 4,380 Cr. in 2018. As numerous games with innovative formats such as free fire game online, online rummy, Online Ludo, and online chess are contributing to the growing wave, online poker is leading-edge in the online gaming industry.
Indians always have a special place for card games in their heart! Poker, a traditional card game played between 2-10 players, has generated a lot of craze in India. On special occasions like Diwali or Holi, people tend to follow the tradition of playing card games, make the occasions memorable, and bond with their close ones. Even in this era of social distancing, people are following this tradition and playing online poker games with their friends and family. This is why online poker successfully thrived in this competitive scenario and is still flourishing at a frenetic pace.
Below mentioned are the factors that derived the growth of the poker industry:
- Due to a lack of awareness, people used to consider poker as a game of luck. People used to associate poker with gambling that was played with a deck of 52 cards and betting used to be done with ‘physical chips’. In every round of betting, players have to decide from the actions like betting, bluffing and raising as per their hand ranking and card value.
- With the growing awareness about the game of skill and how they are a great ‘mental workout’, more and more people started playing poker games online. Nowadays, people are not only earning money and fame by playing online poker games but also polishing their real-life skills such as – mathematical skills, analytical skills, observation and prediction, and much more.
- The acceptance of poker in the international markets i.e.UK, US, Europe, and China has also contributed to the growth of online poker.
- In this era of digitization and social distancing due to the COVID pandemic, online poker gaming is taking the bigger slice of the Indian gaming industry. It has been reported that the online poker industry is growing at a rate of 35-40% every year.
- To stop the spread of Covid-19, people were forced to stay at home – which means the traffic got directed to online multiplayer games. The increased activity of people on online platforms also brought a great upsurge in the online poker industry.
- Leading gaming companies started working in providing a seamless gaming experience to the players. Whether it’s about offering high-end graphics to catch the eyeballs or incorporating top-notch features to facilitate hassle-free accessibility, top gaming platforms are leaving no stone unturned to give the best to their user base and expand their business.
The game of poker is a very old game that used to be played 200 years back to beat the monotony and kill boredom. In the late 1990s, the proliferation of smartphones and low-cost data plans led to the popularity of poker games for the masses. From 2003 onwards, the online gaming industry witnessed an exponential boom. The appearance of poker on various online platforms attracted a huge user base, allowed players to virtually engage and interact with each other, and provided a lot of careers and money-making opportunities.
Are you also a poker lover? Then it will be interesting for you to read the top revolutions in the online poker gaming industry! Do read the below-mentioned points to be aware of the poker revolutions over the years.
Online Poker – Emerged as the Best Mental Sport
Poker is a mental sport where you have to devise strategies to confuse your opponents. For the sake of winning, you have to play various tricks to confuse your opponents. Sometimes even with good hands, you have to show yourself weak, and sometimes you have to show that you have a monster even with weak hands. It all depends on the situation, our card’s value, your opponents, and how you play the game. Successful poker players train themselves for years to read their opponents based on their betting patterns and habits.
All these things have made online poker the best mental sport – which you can play anywhere anytime. As people started celebrating poker as a mental sport, the traffic on online poker platforms increased up to a great extent. Players started showing interest in different poker apps and websites where they can get a seamless playing experience.
Especially working professionals who don’t have much time in hand to visit a casino or club, or those who are not socially outgoing, find a great convenience to play Texas hold’em poker games on online platforms. Online poker has given the golden opportunity to people to win amazing rewards, cash prizes, cashback, and make a profession in gaming.
Rise in Female Poker Players
Once upon a time, the poker industry was crowded by men only. There were hardly any female poker players giving tough fights to their male counterparts and making a serious profession in the game. But digitization and modernization changed a lot of things – and the changes brought a bright paradigm shift in the poker industry.
Poker is no longer a men-centric game! Several female poker players are proudly joining the bandwagon, earning millions of dollars and fame in the industry. From showcasing exemplary skills in competitive mind sports like poker to making a big name in the industry, women are giving neck-to-neck competition to their male counterparts.
“Furthermore, they are leveraging the online platforms to bond with new people, improve their network, and socialize more. Of course, winning prestigious tournament titles is a force to be reckoned with.”
Poker Apps & Sites
The above-mentioned pointers are evident to the fact that the online poker industry is in the hyper-growth phase. We have witnessed how the online gaming industry in India has evolved over the years and brought a paradigm shift in the gaming industry. Various factors like skyrocketing growth of digital infrastructure, affordable smartphones and data plan affordability, expansion of the internet user base have contributed to the growth of poker apps and sites.
Online real money gaming companies are stretching their roots to plan online poker leagues, do valuable collaborations, and provide learning opportunities to aspiring players.
Final Words
Especially leading companies are doing every possible thing to uplift the gaming experience of the players and add value to their playtime. From new tech additions to consistent up-gradation in the previous set-ups to attractive promotional offers, online platforms are stretching their roots to provide the best gaming experience to modern players.
With this, the modern gamers are on cloud nine as they are enjoying the wave, sharpening their real-life skills, and winning massive amounts of money every day.
