More than half of all Indian internet users play online games. India's online gaming industry is growing thanks to improved smartphone usage, rising disposable income, affordable new technologies, internet penetration, and more. The availability of accessible gaming platforms and safe esports have also contributed to the growth of gaming in the best-performing Indian states.
India’s gaming is a state matter, and its presence and penetration can be ranked by state. IMGR (India Mobile Gaming Report) 2022 by MPL (Mobile Premier League) ranked Indian states based on GDP per Capita, disposable income, and other factors. Discussed below are the biggest states for gaming in India.
Goa
Goa is among the few Indian states where gambling is legal. For almost three decades, it has impacted the desi gaming culture, gambling legislation, and niche tourism. Since their establishment, Goa casinos have been a vital element of the local economy. To date, gaming facilities are a leading tourism and economic development driver. They've also become a significant part of Goa's modern culture, with locals and tourists visiting them.
Online casinos have also impacted Goa, leading to the rise of online gambling. A study found that Goa’s proportional visibility is more than double compared to the population size. Despite the entry ban on locals, more real-money gamers play online casino in Goa than in most North-Eastern states combined. This is because they have a higher disposable income and GDP per Capita.
Maharashtra
While gambling is illegal in Maharashtra, residents can still enjoy legal games like lottery, rummy, and horse racing. They can play casino games provided by foreign online gaming websites. According to a study, Maharashtra has the highest number of online casino gamers in India compared to other contenders. Maharashtrians generate a significant 18.2% of the registered organic traffic.
The state is high-income and low-poverty and has a vast population, bringing over a sixth of user visits. Pune and Mumbai residents give online gaming greater importance as a way to spend their disposable income and free time. Nagpur, Nashik, and Thane are among Maharashtra's top five cities that saw a rise in online gaming.
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh is among the top five states with the most mobile gamers. Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, and Ghaziabad have the highest gamers' share in this state. 36% of all Uttar Pradesh players are from these cities.
Rajasthan
Mobile gaming has witnessed an unprecedented boom in the vibrant state of Rajasthan. Dominating the gaming scene is Jaipur, which has garnered an astonishing 200% more gamers compared to Jodhpur, securing its spot as the state's gaming hub. Not far behind, cities like Alwar, Kota, and Udaipur have also emerged as major players in the mobile gaming industry, contributing to Rajasthan's ever-growing reputation as a thriving hotspot for digital gaming enthusiasts.
Bihar
Bihar's significant gamer growth is fueled by the popularity of mobile gaming in Patna, the capital city, and others like Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, and Darbhanga. The number of gamers in Patna is over twice that of players in the other four cities combined.
West Bengal
West Bengal claimed the fifth spot among the top gaming destinations. Midnapore, Kolkata, Murshidabad, Darjeeling, and Howrah are the top gaming cities in this state. According to IMGR 2022, these cities control over 30 percent of West Bengal's mobile gaming population.
Odisha
In Odisha's Bhubaneswar, players using smartphones rose by 1,652%. Other cities, including Cuttack, Jajpur, Dankuni, and Bajitpur, also saw a large number of gamers joining the mobile games bandwagon.
Punjab
Punjab was ranked second among the states that experienced the most rise in gamers. The state which houses Mohali, the best performing Indian city, registered a 7130% growth in mobile gamers in 2022 vs. 2021. Beas, Fazilka, Malerkotla, Dinanagar, Samrala, and Shahkot cities in Punjab also recorded impressive mobile gamers' growth in 2022.