‘Surprise Online Gambling Bans In India Could Affect Ezugi Tables!’ Image Source: (ezugi.com)
Popular live dealer studios such as the Evolution-owned Ezugi could feel the financial effects of the recent surprise online gambling bans in India. In recent weeks, several states in the country pushed to ban online gambling amid concerns over a potential increase in gambling addiction and those bans are now in force.
In recent years, the growth of iGaming in India exploded, especially live dealer games such as Andar Bahar and Teen Patti tailored for an Indian target market.
However, the concerns over gambling addiction in the country also increased in recent months as a large number of Indian citizens look towards online gambling as a means to replace lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rise in online gambling and new concerns from government officials led to several Indian states revising their laws. In late September, Andhra Pradesh amended state gambling regulations to include online gambling, which made the activity illegal. The latest government agency to act is the Tamil Nadu state which last Friday, promulgated an ordinance that banned online gambling with a threat of 6 months in jail and a Rs 5,000 levied on offenders caught gambling online.
What this means is that the burden and responsibility of respecting new legislation is very much on the shoulders of casino players themselves and not the online casinos providing the services. There are plenty of countries globally that ban online gambling, but very few putting the onus on the players. In fact, how the government plans to enforce these laws or dedicate resources to stop citizens from gambling online is somewhat of a mystery. It would take a huge amount of resources to actually find people gambling online and then carrying out said punishments.
Following those surprise bans, the state of Karnataka is also strongly considering taking similar action. Officials began talks just days ago to address the direction they will take with rumours, but it heavily suggesting that the region will outlaw all forms of online gambling.
Why have online gambling bans hit Indian states?
iGaming has become increasingly popular throughout India but a recent surge because of the current pandemic and the effects it has had on families’ incomes, has led to concerns that many are turning to gambling as a form of income rather than an enjoyment or pleasure activity. Additionally, at the national level, the government has concerns over money leaving the country and into the hands of these offshore casinos.
Rules and regulations surrounding online gambling in India are complex. Each state governs its own laws, but many of these were outdated and mainly pertained to localised gambling. Laws were not in place to specifically ban gambling at offshore online casinos. However, these recent moves are placing the responsibility firmly at the feet of Indian players. Those caught gambling online face hefty sanctions.
Popular live Ezugi tables may see a reduction in players
Popular throughout Asia, the number of active Indian players at Ezugi tables significantly increased in recent years. However, as online gambling bans hit Indian states, Ezugi, a leading provider of live casino games, is certain to experience a reduction of active players at their popular Teen Pati, Andar Bahar, and Keno tables – these table games in particular specifically target the growing online gambling market in India with localised table games popular in the country. Still, this should not have too much of an effect on the continued growth of a company acquired by the Evolution Gaming Group in late 2018. Yet, Evolution is taking a few financial hits in different online gambling arenas lately!
Evolution’s revenue takes another hit!
Evolution bought Ezugi out in a move that solidified Evolution’s position as the industry-leading provider of live casino software. Aware of the popularity of Ezugi across Asia and India, Evolution retained the brand name choosing to build on its success, which also spreads across to the USA where Ezugi also operates in New Jersey. Evolution also recently acquired another leading provider of live casino games in NetEnt, so although losing Indian players will hurt its Ezugi division, the expansion of the company as a whole and the inevitable foray into newer markets should lessen any financial losses through law changes in India.
Over in the UK, Evolution’s dual play options are finding life rough in the face of new lockdowns. As the dual play tables operate out of land-based casinos, and lockdowns are forcing casinos to close, UK dual play table options are currently out of the service. Also, over in Germany, Evolution stopped offering its live table games and will not come back to the market until 2021 when new legislation is in force giving Evolution the green light to begin targeting the German online casino market once again.
The latest Indian fiasco is more unwelcome news for a firm looking to continue its growth and dominance. Ezugi’s financial loss may be high but we will have to wait for income reports at the end of the year to determine how the online casino bans in India will affect the brand. Boasting a portfolio of 20 live casino games beamed from multiple studios worldwide, Ezugi live casino games are currently found at over 100 online casinos that are now illegal for Indian citizens to play at!
Ezugi live casino games popular in India
- Lucky 7
- Jackpot Roulette
- Bet on Teen Patti
- Baccarat No Commission
- Teen Patti
- Andar Bahar
- Blackjack Bet Behind
- Live Roulette
- Dragon Tiger
- Bet on Numbers
- Keno
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