---

2019 ASEAN Summit discussed India’s massive potential

The 2019 ASEAN Gaming Summit saw itself being hosted between 19-21 March 2019 in the Filipino capital city of Manila. It was one of Asia’s biggest gaming conferences and many renowned industry experts and entities graced the event.

Indian heavyweights of the gaming industry like Ankush Gera of Junglee Games, Naveen Goyal of Khel Group, with whom Gutshot had an exclusive interview recently, Amar Gahlot of L&S Attorneys, Sudhit Kamath of 9stacks and Jaydeep Chakravartty of Nektan were present to give their two cents on gaming issues.

Of the various issues tackled in the 3-day event, the above names were part of a roundtable conference which included many other industry persons. The conference began with the topic of sports betting. The expectation from the panel was that India will follow the American example and different states will soon regulate sports betting to suit their own needs.

One question in particular stood out in the discussion, which asked that once sports betting becomes legal, what will be the fate of the already successful fantasy sports market of India. Goyal notably mentioned that there’s still room for both if they are marketed correctly. Fantasy sports can be seen as a laid-back, casual entertainment kind of a thing whereas sports betting can be purported as the faster, simpler option of betting.

Next in line was the topic of poker, which is a huge industry in India. Gera noted that the revenues from the poker industry in India currently bring about $50 to $60 million with 60% growth per year and further explained that the figures will add up quickly. He said that poker is mostly played by young metro dwellers who see it as a cooler option than the traditional Indian game Rummy.

Kamath concluded the discussion by saying, “Gambling is in the blood of many Indians.” These words are substantiated since the statistics also point to the same thing, that the industry’s is seeing massive surge in India in recent times.

Keep reading GutshotMagazine.com for more such industry news and for general gambling/gaming news from around the world.

Check out our online poker rooms section, where you can read reviews on the biggest and best poker rooms in the country, while also taking advantage of their bonuses and promotions. Check out these top poker rooms HERE.

---

---