Both online casino operators and game studios are continually eyeing up new markets. One that has firmly been on their radar over the past few years is India. That’s not to say offshore casinos are not new to the sub-continent. But more recently, the best live dealer studios have shown more interest than they did previously.
In India, there are only a few land-based casinos. These can be found in Sikkim, Daman, and Goa, with the addition of some floating casinos on the Mandovi River. Given that India has a population of 1.3 billion and a love for gambling games, the potential for online casinos in India is enormous.
Falling into place
With games streamed live using HD video, live casinos require more internet data and a strong and stable connection. There would be no issues for players living in India’s biggest cities, but for the wider population, particularly those in rural areas, it probably used to be.
It’s fair to assume that this was most likely the primary reason why live dealer studios didn’t pursue the gambling market with such vigour in the past. However, with more than 700 million people now owning a smartphone and many thousands now coming online, all of that has changed.
Live Casinos for India
Gambling is a local past time in India, dating back to the Maharajas. Many kids’ games that are played today, such as Ludo, were actually created for gambling purposes back in the day. On national holidays card games and dice games are played for money among friends and family. So, online slots do not appeal as much as live casino games to Indians. Hence, the sudden interest in the market by the leading game providers.
Live casino studios are well aware of how lucrative this market is, and now they are pulling out all the stops to ensure they capture their share of the market. It’s not about simply bringing a generic product and trying to sell it to players in India; these developers are tailoring games specifically for this market.
Ezugi
Now owned by the mighty Evolution Gaming, Ezugi has a dedicated live games catalogue for Indian players. It includes Andar Bahar and OTT Andar Bahar, which is streamed live from Casino Marina in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Furthermore, Ezugi offers Namaste Roulette, Teen Patti and Bet on Teen Patti, where players can simply bet on what hand they think will win. All of Ezugi’s Indian games are compatible with mobile gameplay, which is another important factor for this market.
Pragmatic Play
In October 2021, Pragmatic Play added Andar Bahar and Roulette India to its ever-growing portfolio of live dealer casino games. The studio decor provides a realistic Indian flavour with the female dealers wearing beautiful sarees. Curiously, however, the Indian Roulette game uses English as the main table language, although some native dealers may be able to converse in local languages.
Playtech Live
Playtech is one of the world’s largest providers of casino games. Its live casino division has taken note of the booming market in India by launching Hindi Roulette. This is played on a regular single-zero wheel with the native croupiers speaking Hindi. In addition to that, in early 2021, Playtech Live released its own variant of Andar Bahar, which also uses Hindi dealers.
Evolution Gaming
Evolution Gaming is the world’s number one live casino specialist. It has a version of Hindi Roulette for players in India, as well as Three Card Poker, which is very similar to Teen Patti. It’s unfair to say Evolution isn’t focused on this market. Instead, it appears to be pushing Ezugi games, which is understandable from a business perspective.
