Since time immemorial, playing casino games has been a major recreational activity in India. Whether it be social gatherings, festivals like Diwali and Janmashtami or a casual meetup with buddies, the fun is incomplete without a few rounds of card games like Rummy and Teen Patti.
In recent times, there has been a dramatic increase in the popularity of Indian casino games, all thanks to technological advances and the advent of online gaming platforms. This article takes a look at the current popularity of Indian casino games and what does the future hold for them.
Rummy
Rummy is a card game that has been around for centuries now. The fantastic casino card game has numerous variants, which are played in different parts of the globe.
Although the origins of Rummy are shrouded in mystery, its widely accepted that the game evolved from a game called Conquian. It is believed that the Spanish people invented it and eventually the game moved to America with Spanish migrants.
The game of Rummy has a rich history in India and is a prominent part of several social gatherings and events in the country. Also, it can be found at various social clubs and land-based gambling venues in India.
The popularity of online Rummy games
The most common types of Rummy are Gin Rummy and Indian Rummy. Gin Rummy is a variant thats quite popular in the West whereas Indian Rummy is usually preferred by the players in the Indian subcontinent.
With the advancement in technology, the game of Rummy is now available for players to play online. With online platforms, Rummy players dont have to confine themselves to physical cards and tables; you can easily play it online whenever and wherever you want.
Online Rummy sites usually offer Rummy games under three variants: Pool Rummy, Points Rummy and Deals Rummy. With these sites, players can enjoy their favourite Rummy variants with millions of players around the world. Moreover, players have the option to participate in various tournaments and leaderboard contests that come with amazing prizes.
Despite stiff competition from online Rummy websites, the Rummy industry has grown at a phenomenal pace in the last few years. According to a recent KPMG report, the Indian gaming revenue is expected to cross the 12000-crore mark by the end of 2023, and card gaming platforms like Rummy sites are expected to be a major contributor to it.
Rising Trends for Rummy
Data from Traffic Analytics reveals that the search interest for Rummy was healthy between February 2016 and December 2019. But with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the popularity of Rummy increased dramatically. Between March and April 2020, the searches for Rummy experienced a whopping 230% increase.
As for the interest by sub-region in India, Rummy is most preferred by players from Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Meghalaya and Kerala. Speaking of worldwide trends, the game of Rummy is getting increasingly popular in Maldives, Romania, Qatar, Canada, United States, UAE and New Zealand.
Teen Patti
Also known as Flush and Flash, Teen Patti is a casino card game that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The game of Teen Patti is a prominent part of social gatherings and is increasingly played at online and offline casinos.
Teen Patti is one of the most popular card games in India, owing to its close connection with various Indian festivals. The festivals of Diwali and Janmashtami come with certain household rituals, and one of them is playing card games like Teen Patti for real money with friends and family members.
Teen Patti going digital
With a massive increase in the engagement of users on their smartphones, the game of online Teen Patti has experienced tremendous popularity in the past few years. The major reason for this is that the online version of the game provides players with the opportunity to play Teen Patti whenever and wherever they want.
Currently, with more than 100+ million downloads together, Teen Patti by Octro and Teen Patti Gold are among the top six highest-grossing games on the Google Play Store in India. Furthermore, live dealer Teen Patti games which allow players to play against a human dealer in real-time are becoming increasingly popular in the country.
Google Trends for Teen Patti
As per the data by Google Trends, the search interest for Teen Patti went up by 52% between November 2016 and December 2017. After dwindling a little between 2018 and 2019, the searches for Teen Patti once again went up by 38% in 2020. Following the surge, the trend appears to have continued over time.
Aside from being popular in India states of Nagaland, Gujarat, Manipur, Assam and Meghalaya, Teen Patti is being increasingly preferred by players from Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait. Overall, the data reveals that the popularity of Teen Patti has increased by a staggering 180% in the last five years.
Andar Bahar
Andar Bahar is a card game that has been an important part of social life in India for centuries now. The origins of Andar Bahar are shrouded in mystery, but its popularly believed that Andar Bahar has its origins in the city of Bangalore in Southern India. The game of Andar Bahar has been played at land-based gambling venues ever since its advent in India, and it can also be found at various casinos around East and SouthEast Asia.
From land-based environment to online Andar Bahar
With the gamification of casino titles, there has been a huge surge in the popularity of Andar Bahar in recent times. Today, well-known software providers like Ezugi and OneTouch provide players with the option to play Andar Bahar against a live dealer in real-time. Seeing their success, various other providers have also started offering online and live Andar Bahar games to their players.
As the gaming quality of online Andar Bahar continues to improve, the game will likely gain more popularity in India and other parts of Asia. This, in turn, will lead to the introduction of Andar Bahar in other gaming markets as well.
Google Trends for Andar Bahar
The search interest for Andar Bahar has been experiencing an upward trend since 2016. Between February and March 2020, the searches for Andar Bahar went up by over 200%, owing to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns that followed it.
When it comes to their interest by sub-region in India, the game of Andar Bahar is preferred mostly by players from Goa, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Uttarakhand. Speaking of the worldwide trends, Andar Bahar is getting increasingly popular in Andar Bahar, Mauritius, Bangladesh, UK and Vietnam.