Real Money Online Poker in India
Last updated: June 17, 2018
Legalized online poker and igaming along with live gambling in India is a mixed bag. It is legalized on a state-by-state basis. For instance there are licensed poker rooms in Bangalore, Kolkata and Goa.
2018 has seen a lot of growth in the Indian market. Adda52, PokerStars India, Spartan Poker, PokerBaazi and MPN India are main players within the industry.
The clear market leader is Adda52, but PokerStars India launch that came back in April 2018 shows that operators are investing within the Indian market and proving to be popular with players.
2018 has also seen the Global Player League (it used to be the Global Poker League) come to Indian shores. The GPL has joined forces with Schiko Gaming, the local operator of PokerStars India, to bring an Indian poker league together to promote poker as a skill game and mind sport to wider audiences.
The GPL will see six Indian city-based team compete over a four week stretch to move into the finals in November—that will see four team face off. The GPL sites alongside the Poker Sports League (founded by Adda52) and Match Indian Poker League (governed by International Federation of Match Poker), both franchise-based poker leagues to popularise poker to Indian audiences.
Furthermore 2018 saw MPN India partnered with another operator to expand its online poker network. PokerLion became the newest room on the network. MPN’s latest addition is the result of a new partnership with Indian game developer Stuti Hardware Pvt. Ltd. (Ability Games).