The Rise of Fantasy Sports and Its Effect on India’s Sports Industry

Fantasy sports have long been popular as a way of betting in many countries around the world. But it’s only really been over the last seven years or so that fantasy sports have made an impact on the Indian gambling market. Not only that, but reports are suggesting that fantasy sports in India is the fastest-growing market in the world, with more than 300 fantasy sports sites and more than 180 million users, heftily beating out the USA by more than three times. As such, there has been a strong impact on India’s sports industry as a whole.

Why have fantasy sports grown so quickly

A number of factors are likely to have contributed to this. For one, there are around 900 million active internet users in the country. There has also been a steady stream of investments from both international and domestic sources, funding the industry. On top of this, fantasy sports users typically are young, with more than 40% in the 25-34 age bracket, many of whom are participating in fantasy sports more than once a week. Surprisingly, part of this leap came during COVID-19. Where other sectors were struggling, fantasy sports was on the rise thanks to easy-to-use apps, increased internet access, and an overall countrywide passion for sports.

Effects on India’s sporting industry

In the same way that live dealer games changed the game for online casinos, fantasy sports in India are doing it for the sporting industry. With games like Crazy Time live with real dealers now available in casinos, players were able to actually get that real-feel of a casino. With fantasy sports, the idea is similar in that players can have an active hand in creating teams and determining which players they think are best. It’s also possible to pit yourself against pundits, seeing if you can analyze the game and do better than they can, adding to the overall thrill of it all.

In terms of the impact on the sporting industry though, there are major improvements expected. The gaming experience and availability of fantasy sports are still expected to improve despite already being top-notch. As a whole, due to fantasy sports, there is now an increased interest in other sports within the country, not just cricket. Typically, the default sport of choice, fantasy sports, has opened up the horizon for younger players, introducing football, kabaddi, and hockey to the younger generations.

With a different slant, a lot of the fantasy sport revenue comes from smaller tier2 or 3 cities. This has led to more digital literacy and improved internet penetration in these areas.

Finally, there have been regulatory changes in recent years. The fantasy sports industry is now set to grow in a responsible way in order to maximize the way it contributes to the country and the overall sports economy. There’s now an 11% increase in budgetary spending for sports, which means there’s going to be a better sports ecosystem within India, too. Stronger investments are in place, and with more international funding coming in, there’s a need for more skilled jobs, too. Fantasy sports play a strong role in supporting different teams and tournaments by featuring multiple leagues. It even creates sponsorships, which benefit athletes and sporting bodies, as well as builds infrastructure from the grassroots level.

As such, fantasy sports is not only aiding sports, but is a great success in terms of entertainment.