It might seem like India is the perfect market for poker due to its large population, yet 150-years-old state legislation has made it hard for the game to expand throughout the country.
Despite the dubious legal status of online poker in India, most experts agree if playing for real money is indeed legal, players have to pay a 30 percent income tax on all winnings above 10,000 rupees. Unlike gambling-specific laws, tax regulations are uniform across the country. Seven poker quotes from American poker players to inspire you. It 'will become the future of Tamil Nadu.'. While India continues to dither on if they want to regulate gambling or outlaw.
Future Of Poker In India Play
The law does transfer to the states the power to legalize and regulate gambling, but not many have done so with some banning it altogether. When it comes to online poker, things are a bit simpler, but the Indian market is still emerging. The rise, however, is steady with more providers entering the scene. The increasing interest is happening in part due to a growing recognition of poker all over the globe (including India) as a game of skill.
It's been only two years since India's poker scene picked up, but the country has already seen several start-ups rising as a result. With improvements to the country's network infrastructure, along with price wars among carriers, mobile gaming is quite lucrative for entrepreneurs.
However, the trend is not limited to poker. Cricket, teen patti and Candy Crush Saga are also keeping Indians glued to the screens of their mobile devices. Of course, poker start-ups are also reporting quite favorable stats that show the country is opening to the card game, leaving the market no choice but to grow.
Several companies provide online poker in India, including one of the biggest operators in the world, 888Poker. Regarding local names, the more recognizable ones are those of Adda52, The Spartan Poker, Pokernation (currently not operating) and the new kid on the block, 9Stacks.
India's gambling market is quite lucrative, and numerous established companies and start-ups attempt to take a share so much so, the competition is now quite stiff given the limited player base. However, things might come around after India's Law Commission's recent call for modernization of the country's gambling policies.
What about Indian poker players?
Unsurprisingly, the top Indian poker players gravitate mainly to the big American tournaments. On the one hand, India lacks opportunities that might excite high rollers, but on the other, it's in the States where the big cash prizes are.
Vivek Rajkumar hasn't appeared on a live tournament since 2015, but this hasn't stopped him from still occupying the top place on India's All Time Money List, earning $4.5 million from live games. Rajkumar debuted in cash tournaments in 2006 and has rarely played outside North America, save for his 9th place at the European Poker Tour's (EPT) Main Event in London in 2009. Rajkumar made his highest-single earning from live poker a year before that when he raked $1.5 million at a WPT event in Atlantic City.
With $2.5 million in live earnings, Nipun Java ranks as India's second-highest earning player from cash tournaments. Java, too, plays almost exclusively in the U.S. and Canada, save for appearing in Australia twice and once in South Africa. Java debuted in 2009 and is still playing nine years later. The highlight of his career came in 2014 when he made two consecutive big hits: a second place worth $115,000 at a WPT tournament in LA and a $230,000 triumph at a World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit event held in the same city.
Aditya Agarwal completes the list of India's poker players who have made more than a million dollars from live tournaments. So far, Agarwal made just a little over seven figures, though he prefers online poker where he has reportedly made over $4 million. Agarwal is also a sort of an outlier in that he has numerous appearances at Indian tournaments. Agarwal has also played several times in Europe and in Macau where he came in second this year for his biggest cash win of $245,000.
Is there a future for poker in India?
Based on the recent involvement in poker of several prominent Indians, it seems like the game is here to stay.
'I find poker no different from chess,' saidformer chess number 1 Viswanathan Anand. The master is the latest ambassador for one of India's top live tournaments, the Poker Sports League (PSL). Anand has also expressed his positive expectations about the future of poker in India and on numerous occasions made parallels between chess and the card game. Anand's involvement in India's poker scene shows that the country is indeed set on becoming an attractive market for poker players.
Actress Anita Hassanandani is another celebrity who's no stranger to the game. 'We as TV actors have hectic schedules, and poker, for me, breaks the monotony of my job and relaxes me,' said Hassanandani as quoted by Times of India. The star actress also mentioned some of the skills that poker develops within players: patience and discipline. She is no stranger to success either. Last year, Hassanandani finished fourth in a tournament organized by The Spartan Poker and has several tournament triumphs to her name.
Anand and Hassanandani are only two examples of Indian celebrities whose involvement in the game speak of a bright future for Indian poker. But the mind sport has found its way even in academics. Deepak Dhayanithy, an assistant professor who teaches strategic management at IIM, has found poker to be a viable learning tool. Dhayanithy uses the game to teach his students about assessing environments and making swift decisions under uncertain conditions. The professor even had a chance to go heads-up against Anand, describing the chess master as someone 'who could quickly relate chess moves and strategy to the game.'
The poker start-ups that pop up left and right, the positive attitude of celebrities toward the game and the overall acceptance of poker as a game of skill all point to a market that's yet to flourish. Right now, few Indians play poker compare to what's possible. Add slot in qt designer software. However, once the stigma dissipates and the proper legal and technical infrastructure is set, nothing will stop the country from becoming one of the world's most lucrative poker markets.
It might seem like India is the perfect market for poker due to its large population, yet 150-years-old state legislation has made it hard for the game to expand throughout the country.
Despite the dubious legal status of online poker in India, most experts agree if playing for real money is indeed legal, players have to pay a 30 percent income tax on all winnings above 10,000 rupees. Unlike gambling-specific laws, tax regulations are uniform across the country. Seven poker quotes from American poker players to inspire you. It 'will become the future of Tamil Nadu.'. While India continues to dither on if they want to regulate gambling or outlaw.
Future Of Poker In India Play
The law does transfer to the states the power to legalize and regulate gambling, but not many have done so with some banning it altogether. When it comes to online poker, things are a bit simpler, but the Indian market is still emerging. The rise, however, is steady with more providers entering the scene. The increasing interest is happening in part due to a growing recognition of poker all over the globe (including India) as a game of skill.
It's been only two years since India's poker scene picked up, but the country has already seen several start-ups rising as a result. With improvements to the country's network infrastructure, along with price wars among carriers, mobile gaming is quite lucrative for entrepreneurs.
However, the trend is not limited to poker. Cricket, teen patti and Candy Crush Saga are also keeping Indians glued to the screens of their mobile devices. Of course, poker start-ups are also reporting quite favorable stats that show the country is opening to the card game, leaving the market no choice but to grow.
Several companies provide online poker in India, including one of the biggest operators in the world, 888Poker. Regarding local names, the more recognizable ones are those of Adda52, The Spartan Poker, Pokernation (currently not operating) and the new kid on the block, 9Stacks.
India's gambling market is quite lucrative, and numerous established companies and start-ups attempt to take a share so much so, the competition is now quite stiff given the limited player base. However, things might come around after India's Law Commission's recent call for modernization of the country's gambling policies.
What about Indian poker players?
Unsurprisingly, the top Indian poker players gravitate mainly to the big American tournaments. On the one hand, India lacks opportunities that might excite high rollers, but on the other, it's in the States where the big cash prizes are.
Vivek Rajkumar hasn't appeared on a live tournament since 2015, but this hasn't stopped him from still occupying the top place on India's All Time Money List, earning $4.5 million from live games. Rajkumar debuted in cash tournaments in 2006 and has rarely played outside North America, save for his 9th place at the European Poker Tour's (EPT) Main Event in London in 2009. Rajkumar made his highest-single earning from live poker a year before that when he raked $1.5 million at a WPT event in Atlantic City.
With $2.5 million in live earnings, Nipun Java ranks as India's second-highest earning player from cash tournaments. Java, too, plays almost exclusively in the U.S. and Canada, save for appearing in Australia twice and once in South Africa. Java debuted in 2009 and is still playing nine years later. The highlight of his career came in 2014 when he made two consecutive big hits: a second place worth $115,000 at a WPT tournament in LA and a $230,000 triumph at a World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit event held in the same city.
Aditya Agarwal completes the list of India's poker players who have made more than a million dollars from live tournaments. So far, Agarwal made just a little over seven figures, though he prefers online poker where he has reportedly made over $4 million. Agarwal is also a sort of an outlier in that he has numerous appearances at Indian tournaments. Agarwal has also played several times in Europe and in Macau where he came in second this year for his biggest cash win of $245,000.
Is there a future for poker in India?
Based on the recent involvement in poker of several prominent Indians, it seems like the game is here to stay.
'I find poker no different from chess,' saidformer chess number 1 Viswanathan Anand. The master is the latest ambassador for one of India's top live tournaments, the Poker Sports League (PSL). Anand has also expressed his positive expectations about the future of poker in India and on numerous occasions made parallels between chess and the card game. Anand's involvement in India's poker scene shows that the country is indeed set on becoming an attractive market for poker players.
Actress Anita Hassanandani is another celebrity who's no stranger to the game. 'We as TV actors have hectic schedules, and poker, for me, breaks the monotony of my job and relaxes me,' said Hassanandani as quoted by Times of India. The star actress also mentioned some of the skills that poker develops within players: patience and discipline. She is no stranger to success either. Last year, Hassanandani finished fourth in a tournament organized by The Spartan Poker and has several tournament triumphs to her name.
Anand and Hassanandani are only two examples of Indian celebrities whose involvement in the game speak of a bright future for Indian poker. But the mind sport has found its way even in academics. Deepak Dhayanithy, an assistant professor who teaches strategic management at IIM, has found poker to be a viable learning tool. Dhayanithy uses the game to teach his students about assessing environments and making swift decisions under uncertain conditions. The professor even had a chance to go heads-up against Anand, describing the chess master as someone 'who could quickly relate chess moves and strategy to the game.'
The poker start-ups that pop up left and right, the positive attitude of celebrities toward the game and the overall acceptance of poker as a game of skill all point to a market that's yet to flourish. Right now, few Indians play poker compare to what's possible. Add slot in qt designer software. However, once the stigma dissipates and the proper legal and technical infrastructure is set, nothing will stop the country from becoming one of the world's most lucrative poker markets.
Chess, in one of its earliest forms 'Chaturanga', originated and flourished in India more than 1400 years ago. Online Chess, its modern-day digital avatar - is also thriving in the country, especially after the coronavirus-induced restrictions began in early March.
However, it's not all roses for the pandemic-catapulted online-chess industry. While it is still grappling to resolve vexing issues like computer-doping and foul-play, recent bans on online gaming in some states have posed fresh challenges.
Currently, around 100 million people in India play the game, and there are around 45 million online players. They have increased by more than 50 per cent after the pandemic, and the number is rising. The number is rising further, according to a recent survey by WowChess.com, an online chess portal.
During the peak of the nationwide lockdowns in early May this year, altogether 200,000 players including some FIDE Grand-masters participated in an online tournament conducted by the government of Karnataka and gaming platform Mobile Premier League. Chess.com, the world's largest site for online play which is very popular in India, has seen over 12 million new users this year, against just 6.5 million last year. Chess viewership has also experienced phenomenal growth in leading live streaming platforms. Almost 100,000 Indians had logged in to watch the final of the first-ever online Chess Olympiad in August this year.
Many people have even learnt the board game online during the pandemic-restrictions. During the recent 60-hour curfew imposed in the city from the night of November 20 to the dawn of November 23, Abhigyan Gadhvi (28), an automobile engineer, played it as a favourite pastime/stress-buster in his rented apartment in Ahmedabad. With almost no knowledge of the board-game till before the lockdowns, he is now a frequent player.
The main drivers of this phenomenal interest and growth include people having more free time owing to the restrictions on social mobility, availability of affordable smart-phones and cheaper data. Online chess is played both formally and casually with or without any prize-money. The International Chess Federation (FIDE), All India Chess Federation (AICF) and other such bodies organise official online tournaments, while independent chess/multi-gaming platforms do so for training and fun. Most of the independent platforms are foreign players, but the number of domestic ones is also rising.
'Chess is popular in India. Due to the pandemic, things are quickly shifting online,' says entrepreneur and promoter of online chess Gaurav Gaggar. 'Growth of the online segment is now much higher than the over-all Indian chess industry's CAGR of around 20 per cent. It also attracts casual and amateur players who do not have other formal platforms,' he said.
Future Of Poker In India Cricket
'With the rise in the number of players, the revenues of the sector has also risen by around 50 per cent. But it's still early days for revenue in India as online chess is mostly free at the moment. The main sources of revenue are membership/subscription fees, per play charges, advertisements and online tournament tickets. The revenue size, currently, is estimated to be close to Rs 100 million only but this is likely to see a quick growth if the ecosystem continues to build,' Gaggar said.
FIDE Grandmaster (GM) Ankit Rajpara (26) said the online play has gained popularity after the lockdowns as people spent more time indoors. Unlike cricket and football, chess does not involve physical activity. So it's easy to shift online without much loss of flavour.
Purists including Director-General of FIDE Emil Sutovsky and AICF secretary B S Chauhan prefer the physical board-game, citing 'drawbacks' of online play. However, the online version also has many big supporters including legendary Vishwanathan Anand. Several of the 66 Indian GMs apart from Anand are also strong proponents.
'The most significant thing in 2020 is that we are overcoming the psychological barrier of making things online. Chess has been playable online for decades, but we are better prepared now,' Anand said during an AICF webinar. He had also endorsed an online tournament which was won by V.S. Rathanvel, a FIDE International Master (IM). Rathanvel (19), had later said that the prize money helped him meet the high expenses of his chess-training. CEO of Niti Aayog, Amitabh Kant too sees online gaming and eSports as a great platform for chess talents.
Future Of Poker In India Rupees
AICF secretary Chauhan, however, said the issue of cheating/foul-play during online games was the biggest roadblock to wider adoption of the digital format. Programs/apps that can rapidly calculate near-perfect moves are often misused during digital tournaments. 'If in future this issue could be resolved, then, of course, online things will be preferred. It cuts costs like travelling expenses,' he said. FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich terms cheating as a 'real plague' for the online game. Measures like multiple camera recording, continuous monitoring and eye-tracking etc., are being tried to counter it.
An industry insider said the online play has also provided a lucrative opportunity for chess talents who are even at IM/GM level. They can pursue their high training cost involving career by playing and winning prize money from such tournaments. But It's not all roses at the moment. The skill-gaming industry including online-chess is in a way threatened,' he said.
'State governments in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are blurring the lines between casino games like rummy and poker and skill based games such as chess. They have imposed a blanket ban without seemingly understanding the difference. Now more states might follow suit, even though the apex court is also not opposed to the idea of eSports. Viewing all online games as addiction and prize money as gambling is not fair,' he added. 'India, currently 4th in the FIDE ranking can be globally more dominant. It can have more than 25 GMs in the top 100 instead of only three to four that we have today. It requires a lot of talent nurturing sponsorships and funds to achieve such feats and the very sources of it should not be cut down,' he argued.
Andhra Pradesh, India's 7th largest province with a large number of online chess players and gamers, banned all online gaming involving money/stakes/prize money a few weeks ago, which cast a shadow over the gaming industry including online chess. An ordinance to this effect was promulgated on September 25 and credible skill gaming operators in the state have geo-blocked players since. Telangana had implemented a similar ban in July this year. And more states might follow.
(Rajnish Mishra is a journalist who writes on various topics including sports and online gaming. The views are personal and do not necessarily reflect that of Outlook magazine.)
Future Of Poker In India Online
