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Desi gaming giant Nazara Technologies’ chief believes the nation’s gaming industry could grow as much as tenfold in the next three years. Investments, innovations and a changing legal climate should contribute to take the sector to another level.

Tech Enablers and Investor Support Key to Market Success

In a keynote speech at the Exchange4Media summit, the founder and joint managing director of India’s own Nazara Technologies, Nitish Mittersain, was more than optimistic about the future of the nation’s gaming industry. Speaking on the “next level of online gaming in India”, he shared his conviction that the sector is likely to grow ten times in size over the next three years.

Himself running a gaming business approaching a unicorn valuation ($1 billion), Mittersain stressed the importance of large capital investments in the industry. Young gaming entrepreneurs are bursting with quality ideas and creative energy, taking advantage of decades of digital growth in the Union.

The domestic market is served by a number of casual, fantasy, esports and real money online casino platforms and apps. The unforeseen growth of the past two (pandemic) years showed just how ready the industry and the user market are to gain global recognition. The growth of the online gamer base alone has already seen more investor interest than the previous decade.

The exciting times for Indian gaming are also enabled by a number of key technologies like affordable mobiles and widespread internet access. Online and in-app purchases of everyday services and consumer goods make buying an online lottery ticket just as normal as paying a utility bill. UPI payments and other fintech applications have changed the way of doing business in a previously cash-only market.

The critical mass of new technology, better connectivity and a healthy business ecosystem will almost inevitably see the gaming space become an important part of people’s social lives as well. The trend should see online and mobile gaming grow tenfold in the next three years, Mittersain believes.

Public Perception and Legal Climate Still Evolving

One cannot ignore the importance of formal regulation and public acceptance of the gaming phenomenon. Recent developments have seen policy makers repeatedly try to impose blanket bans and restrictions on gamers’ passions, only to see them repealed by High Courts around the country.

In early 2022, the Karnataka apex court struck down an amendment on the State’s Police act which saw all paid gaming outlawed. Similar legislative acts by Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana were blocked by regional High Courts.

As a result, Government officials have been rethinking their approach to online entertainment and games for stakes. Blanket bans have not proven an effective solution, as many players sought online alternatives offshore. Policy makers are now openly considering self-regulation for the sector, with some basic framework laws imposed on a Central level before that.

We may not have seen the end of state “paternalism” and heavy-handed bans but India’s online gaming industry is bullish about its chances to grow. The market has spoken and hundreds of tech startups around the Union are ready to prove their worth on the global stage, experts believe.

Deeming The COVID-19 Pandemic Situation Under Control, The Goa Government Has Unlocked The State To Restart Tourism Activities Just In Time For The Peak Tourist Season. 

Goa Casinos Now Open To Tourists — But at 50% Capacity

State officials rolled out fresh guidelines, allowing key tourism activities to resume in Goa—including land-based casino establishments and river casinos—effective September 20. According to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, casinos in Goa can now accept tourists and locals inside the establishments as long as they are “either fully vaccinated or those with a RTPCR report.”

Goa casinos are also allowed to operate up to 50 percent of their capacity, and they must implement COVID safety protocols including use of masks, sanitisers, and thermal screening, among others. Guests and staff must be asymptomatic or fully vaccinated against coronavirus, making sure that 15 days have elapsed from the administration of the second dose of the vaccine. Negative RT-PCR test results are also accepted, provided that the tests are conducted not prior to 72 hours from the time of entry to the casino.

“The (state government’s) expert committee compared the (COVID-19) positivity rate over the last two-three weeks and it has been under 2 percent. In order to revive economic activity and tourism activity, casinos have been allowed to reopen on Monday [September 20] with strict SOPs (standard operating procedures),” Sawant said.

Goa Reopens in Time For Peak Tourist Season

The reopening of the state is seen by industry stakeholders as a catalyst for many operators in Goa—hotels, restaurants, and even taxi services—to see their businesses pick up, especially when the peak tourist season sets in in October and lasts until March. The state is host to six floating casinos on Mandovi river, plus one off in state capital Panaji, and about a dozen others operating inside hotels in the state.

Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, state officials have been actively promoting casino tourism in Goa as part of their bid to boost economic growth by expanding the state’s casino offerings to potentially attract tourists who otherwise might not consider visiting Goa. In their report, Overview of Goa’s casino communities, analysts at ENV Media highlighted that the state’s “expanding casino industry reached around 15,000 visitors per day by the end of the 2010s, still maintaining an annual growth rate of around 30%.”

The pandemic, however, has demonstrated a shift among many Indian consumers toward technology. Now more than ever, more and more consumers are turning to digital environments as they go about their day. They include desi players, who are now also opting to go digital as they play online roulette on mobile, and even lottery as well as other casual entertainment games in the comfort and safety of their homes.

“The COVID-19 pandemic may have given the decisive push in many industries. While tourism stands to improve in Goa, its gambling fame might just be brought onto a new level with online gambling,” according to the ENV Media report. “Goa might push for more online gamers and next-gen revenue streams instead of pushing for rich tourists and trying to discriminate against locals or humble desi gamblers.”

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