April 17: All verses of the gaming industry have been looking to break into the potentially massive market of India for decades. Yet, a major breakthrough hasn’t occurred since the handheld Gameboy consoles. Now, however, thanks to the adoption of another handheld digital gaming platform, it is picking up steam and establishing a huge audience in the nation.

This handheld digital gaming platform is, of course, the smartphone. While not originally intended to be for gaming, the increased power of these devices, coupled with their accessibility and connection to the internet, has made mobile the largest gaming platform in the world. In India, with the number of people using mobile phones growing at an extraordinary rate, all games available via mobiles are enabling the foundation of a potentially vast Indian gaming community.

From the swarms of players on the mobile app game PUBG Mobile to those playing cards at the LeoVegas online casino in India, it’s clear that gaming is finally getting big on the subcontinent.

Accessible gaming becoming a competitive sport

The key to mobile gaming is its accessibility, both through being available on near-essential smartphones as well as, for the most part, being free. The most popular mobile games are free to download and play, to an extent, with optional microtransaction payments available to allow players to progress quicker or get better in-game items sooner.

In India, one mobile game rules them all: PUBG Mobile. Known fully as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile, the Tencent Games port is an online first-person shooter, with the game mode based on the themes of the 1999 Japanese novel Battle Royale being the most popular way to play. Indian gamers are piling into this title, but other games like Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans have also generated large audiences.

Now that mobile gaming is taking hold, the still relatively young professional competitive gaming industry of eSports is looking to India for continued growth. The Esports Observer recently announced that Esports Players League - a tournament network and platform company - and Paytm First Games have partnered up to enter the Indian eSports scene.

Online casino games in India finding an audience

Of course, shooters and puzzlers aren’t the only types of games making their way onto the scene, with one of the oldest forms of gaming finding a considerable audience wanting to play casino games in India. The Indian online casino scene has been around for some time now, but only recently have big-name brands like LeoVegas been able to establish themselves – running alongside the increased mobile penetration.

Now, the LeoVegas online casino is offering its extensive selection of games to all players who are of age and can connect to the platform. On the site, the massive range of slots is proving to be popular, with the likes of Book of Dead, Bonanza Megaways, Starburst, and Eastern Emeralds enjoying their time in the Indian spotlight.

As is the case around the world, leading to it commonly boasting its position as the world’s most popular online casino title, the jackpot game Mega Moolah has, predictably, become one of the top casino games at LeoVegas in India. A notorious millionaire-maker, the progressive slot game was the first of its kind, and thanks to its continued payouts, has earned a dedicated player base.

Slot games are notoriously popular in all jurisdictions of established casino online gaming. Still, in India, LeoVegas has seen an almost unexpected draw to the live casino section, particularly the card games. Rummy is huge in India, so it stands to reason that those discovering the casino would try out cards games, with the likes of Free Bet Blackjack, Live Lightning Baccarat, and Live Casino Hold’em Jumbo 7 already winning over their fair share of gamers.

Thanks to the world of digital gaming being opened up to India via smartphones, the nation can enjoy a plethora of exciting titles at the tap of a screen. The gaming trend will only continue to grow as the Indian gaming industry establishes itself as a giant on the global scene.