Maharashtra Boasts the Highest Number of Online Casino Players
A recently published primary research dedicated to the Biggest Online Gambling States in India reveals that Maharashtra supplies the biggest number of online casino players in the country, taking a massive lead over all other contenders.
The study analyzes 6-months' worth of internal organic traffic data from the major Indian casino comparison platform SevenJackpots and juxtaposes findings with publicly available industry-wide statistics to back up its conclusions.
Maharashtra residents generate a massive 17.4 percent of all the registered organic traffic, followed after a sizable gap by Telangana which is responsible for 9.9 percent of the analyzed traction.
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“Both states are low-poverty and high-income. Maharashtra also has a huge population, with these two States bringing in more than 1/6 of all user visits. Mumbai and Pune residents give greater importance to online gambling as a use of their free time and disposable income,” observes Seven Jackpots industry researcher Svilen Madjov.
Close after Telangana are the states of West Bengal and Karnataka, each amassing 9.3 percent of the registered organic traffic during the analyzed period. Uttar Pradesh takes the fifth position with 8.2 percent of user visits, followed in sixth and seventh place by Tamil Nadu and NCT Delhi with 8.1 percent each.
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Quite notably, Uttar Pradesh, with its population approaching 24 crore as per 2019 figures, is responsible for roughly the same amount of organic traffic as the National Capital Territory with its population of less than 2 crores.
But, at the same time, Delhi has an almost 5.5 times larger GDP per Capita of $19,974 than India’s most populous state with its modest $3.635, and a roughly three times lower poverty level of 9.91 percent, whereas 29.43 percent of the population of Uttar Pradesh lives below the line of poverty.
“Put simply, the States which are home to the leading six Indian cities ensure the majority of online gambling, with 62.1% of all online casino customers,” says industry researcher Madjov. “Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad lead the pack. They confirm the importance of tech development, business climate, and media exposure. Pune, Ahmedabad, and Surat also rate well in online gambling traction.”
Telangana Shoots to the Front in Sports Betting
The research article also analyses another primary aggregate traffic dataset provided by a major Indian sports betting review platform which shows that Telangana shoots to the front of sportsbook traffic acquisition generating almost a quarter, or 22 percent, of all registered user visits.
Karnataka takes the second position being responsible for 17 percent of the analyzed traction, and the online casino adoption leader Maharashtra shows up here only in third place with a ‘modest’ share of 9.7 percent.
The next three positions are taken by Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Tamil Nadu with organic traffic scores of 7.4, 6.7, and 6.4 percent respectively. Andhra Pradesh is seventh in online sportsbook acquisition generating 5.6 percent of the registered traffic.
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“The major difference between online casinos is the rise of Telangana and Karnataka. The first one brings almost a quarter of all sports betting users, despite its size. Both states are home to some of India’s important tech hubs. Hyderabad and Bengaluru have young professionals who like innovation, digital products, and globalized services (e.g., crypto payments for gaming are on the rise),” Madjov comments.
A major factor driving the high adoption figures in some of these states can be found in the online and gambling betting bans, such as the ones enacted in Telangana in 2017 and in Andhra Pradesh in 2020, as these prohibitions incentivize players to look for alternatives online.
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Gen Z Is Calling the Shots Now
Similar primary data analyses reveal that the young age groups of 18-24 and 25-34 year olds and particularly Generation Z form a massive 68 percent of the total user base of a big Indian casino gaming and sports betting platform.
Such data shows that Gen Z, or people born between 1997 and 2010, have already become one of the most important user segments for the gaming industry. In the coming years, the significance of the ‘digital natives’, as Gen Z are often referred to, will only keep rising.
Many gaming and gambling operators have realized the significance of Gen Z as market drivers and trend setters and are making sure not to miss out on the future by offering more targeted and immersive content. For example, with the rising popularity of game streaming, especially in the field of competitive electronic sports, adding a large variety of eSports markets is a wise move to make for online casino and betting platforms.
