Gambling in India used to be a subject fraught with taboo and legal concerns. As such, most people in India would have opted to stay clear of gambling sites just 10 years ago – but in recent years, that tendency has changed.
According to a new study, 40% of Indians have gambled online at least once. Similarly, the rate at which Indians are joining online casinos is seeing a massive surge.
In fact, many analysts predict that if the adoption of online casinos continues at this rate, India will soon surpass the UK (one of the world’s largest gambling markets) in the number of casino players per capita.
However, physical brick and mortar casinos are banned in most Indian states, with the exception of states such as Goa and Sikkim. So how do so many Indians manage to gamble online? The answer is through online casinos.
Online casinos are popular in India – especially in states where physical casinos are outlawed.
A recent study conducted by My Casino India reveals the top Indian states where online casinos are gaining popularity.
In this article, we will take a look at the states in India where online casinos are most popular.
1. Karnataka
At the top of the list of popular online casino states in India we have Karnataka. The state accounts for 16% of all online casino users in all of India.
It is not surprising to see Karnataka on this list, considering that the state has a large population of young males below the age of 35 – the primary target audience for most online casinos.
Another factor that adds to the demand for online casinos in Karnataka is the fact that Bangalore, the capital city of the state, is the IT capital of India.
The city has a large population of tech savvy young people, each equipped with the latest smartphones and with unlimited access to the internet.
This, coupled with the fact that Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka and the IT hub of India has a large and tech savvy urban population. These techies have easy access to mobile phones and the internet which are the only prerequisites for playing at an online casino.
Another factor that contributed to the rise in casino gambling within Karnataka was the fact that the local state government attempted to ban online casinos in Karnataka back in september of 2021.
However, the Karnataka State High Court promptly struck down the law that bans online gambling sites for being unconstitutional.
In turn, all the media hype surrounding the court case made a lot of people realise that online casinos weren’t effectively banned in the state.
This led many people to wanna participate in the online casino mania for themselves by signing up and creating a casino account.
2. Maharashtra
The state of Maharashtra – India’s hub of glamour and excitement. The state accounts for almost 13% of all India’s online casino users.
Maharashtra is home to Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and the billion dollar industry that is the Bollywood film industry.
The state of Maharashtra does not allow physical casinos to operate within the limits of the state. However, Maharashtrians are a short drive away from Goa which is home to some of the country’s best casinos.
The casinos of Goa are one of the favoured vacation destinations of the middle- and upper classes in Mumbai.
It, therefore, makes perfect sense that the glamour-loving people of Maharashtra would wanna bring the casino experience closer to home and engage in online casino gambling on a more consistent basis.
Another factor that adds to the popularity of online casinos in Maharashtra is that the state has some of the highest incomes in the country – as such, there is a larger middle class of people with enough disposable income to engage with online casinos.
3. Telangana
Telangana is the third-most popular state for online casinos in India. The state accounts for an estimated 11.50% of all online casino users in India.
The state of Telangana has a long and rich history of various traditional sports and games. Historically, betting on the outcome of sporting events and games has been commonplace and widely accepted in Telangana – this is probably why online casinos have such a large base of users within the state.
However, in 2017, the government of Telangana amended the restrictive gambling laws of the state and made it completely illegal to gamble within Telangana, both physically and in cyberspace.
However, this ban does not appear to have stopped Telanganites from using online casinos, as the love for gambling sites is still massive in the state.
Conclusion
According to the study cited above, online casinos are most popular within the most urban states in India, that have the youngest populations and with the highest amount of disposable income.
Other states which are more rural, conservative and less-populated represent a much lower percentage of online casino users in India.
