Ten statistics that prove Fantasy Sports is big in India

Sports consumption and engagement in India has experienced a massive shift from radio, television broadcast, online, and now OTT.

The way sports are consumed in India is experiencing another evolution in the form of Fantasy Sports and India is set to be one of the biggest markets for this format of gaming in the next few years.

Fantasy Sports or Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) has been around in India for a while, however, it’s heavily considered as betting/gambling and whilst it’s growing leaps and bounds it’s still banned in states like Assam, Odisha and Telangana. In most of the other states, DFS is either legal or categorised as a grey area. In fact, there were petitions filed against Dream 11, a DFS gaming portal in the states of Punjab and in the city of Mumbai, however, they were dismissed with a conclusion that DFS is a game of skill and not gambling. Read more Here.

How did DFS start in India and What are the most popular DFS in India

Once again, Cricket was the first sport that was associated with the beginning of DFS in India. Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 was when DFS really picked up. Having said that, there were apps like Premier League served as an inspiration for Dream 11’s foundation. Since the inception of Dream 11, the most popular fantasy sports in India have been cricket, football, basketball, hockey, and badminton. DFS is so popular that it has managed to find popularity in regional/niche sports like kabaddi and carrom.

We have listed ten statistics that prove fantasy sports/DFS is set to grow in India and we would like to know your thoughts/opinions about DFS in India: