In recent years, as domestic regulations have tightened, many Chinese manufacturers have chosen to expand into India, with most companies starting with Teen Patti for the simple reason of profitability.
Teen Patti is a game of chance and is strictly prohibited in some states of India. Compared to skill-based games like Rummy, some payment channels also impose stricter regulations on games of chance. However, due to the strong profitability of Teen Patti, many manufacturers are willing to take the risk.
Currently, Chinese companies in the Indian Teen Patti market have captured 70% of the market share, making it one of the hottest real money card games in India.
To more clearly demonstrate the landscape of the Indian Teen Patti market, PASA has created a ranking of Teen Patti in India.
Chinese manufacturers in India, for various reasons, often use alternate versions known as "shadow apps" or app matrices, which are essentially "clones" of the main app, uploaded under different developer accounts to perform the same functions as the main app.
The reasons for using shadow apps include:
1. To occupy limited app market space: occupying keyword search results and rankings, covering more keywords to gain more traffic.
2. To drive traffic to the main app: through various splash screens, pop-up ads, and push advertisements.
3. To mitigate market risks: some products are unable to be listed due to regulatory content, hence shadow apps are used for app volume boosting, chart rushing, and as emergency measures against delisting and competitive threats.
4. For technical testing needs: used for A/B testing, new feature testing, and market trials.
That's why we often see multiple games with similar names but different developer accounts (often personal names) on the Indian game charts, which are actually different versions of the same game.
In fact, a mature Teen Patti game usually includes multiple gameplay options. For example, the leading game in India, Teen Patti Master, not only features Teen Patti but also includes high-profit games like Slots (Bikini Paradise), 7 up down, and Baccarat, thus forming the core of the game's profitability.
Moreover, Teen Patti Master also introduces popular domestic games like fishing and the Russian-originated roulette to India.
It can be said that embedding distinctive gameplay from domestic or other countries and promoting it to Indian players has become a consensus among industry manufacturers.
The game focuses on promotions like Withdraw and Earn Money, where players can earn rewards by completing tasks such as inviting friends or acquiring new users, mainly through WhatsApp, FB, and YouTube.
The game even thoughtfully prepares a promotional video for players, who can upload it to YouTube to complete tasks and earn cash rewards.
Based on the monthly download volume of Teen Patti Master, its annual revenue exceeds one hundred million.
Indeed, Teen Patti Master is just one of the newer products in the Indian gaming market. Compared to it, several companies entered the market much earlier and can be considered veterans compared to Teen Patti Master.
1. Gamesofa's Bollywood Teen Patti was one of the first products to enter the Indian market, launched in 2014 and discontinued in 2017. Note: Gamesofa (Huibang Technology), main products include God of Mahjong, God of Poker.
2. Shenzhen February Second Technology is also one of the earlier Chinese companies to enter the Indian market, related to Shenzhen Quyun, with products like Teen Patti Deluxe, released in February 2016, but discontinued in less than a year.
3. Shenzhen Yihua Technology entered the market slightly later, with its product Redoo Teen Patti launched in October 2016, which is still in operation. Note: Yihua Technology was founded in 2012 by former Boyaa executives. Shenzhen Yihua mainly targets the Indian market, with main products including Yihua Texas, Rummy Guru, etc.
4. Compared to others, Guangzhou Leiyin entered the market later, with its product KKTeenPatti launched in 2018. Compared to another card game PPPoker, KKTeenPatti's performance has been moderate, with downloads exceeding 500,000 to date.
These companies were among the earliest to enter the Indian Teen Patti market, and some may have shifted their strategic focus and chosen not to continue to delve into the Indian market.
However, it is undeniable that the Indian market still has great potential, waiting for practitioners to explore.
