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Working on objective of taking poker from niche to mass category: Adda52 CRO Krishnendu Guha

In an exclusive interaction with MyKhel, Krishnendu Guha, Chief Revenue Officer, Adda52.com, spoke at length about the vision and mission of the platform and how they are working to break the taboo.

Working on objective of taking poker from niche to mass category: Adda52 CRO Krishnendu Guha

New Delhi, April 28: The online gaming industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country, courtesy of the smartphone revolution. One can find people playing of all genders and age groups trying their hands at online and fantasy gaming across the length and breadth of his vast nation.

Among the vast range of online games on offer today, poker is most sought after by gamers as it involves a great deal of intelligence. The game - which was once considered a sport of the elite for it was only played in the specific clubs where a layman didn't even think of entering - is now available at one's fingertips.

It is due to this boom, the entire online gaming sector is witnessing a surge. According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting data, the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) sector in India has the potential to become the torchbearer of "Create in India" & "Brand India". India has the potential to capture 5% (~$40 billion) of the global market share by the year 2025, with an annual growth of around 25-30% and creating over 1,60,000 new jobs annually.

As per the FICCI-EY media and entertainment report 2022, the online gaming segment is expected to reach INR 153 billion by 2024 at a CAGR of 15% to become the fourth largest segment of the Indian M&E sector, driven by innovations across NFTs, the metaverse and esports.

'Qlan - A Gamer's Social Network - will foster growth of esports and gaming community within the ecosystem''Qlan - A Gamer's Social Network - will foster growth of esports and gaming community within the ecosystem'

All these figures and stats are encouraging the industry players to cater to the ever-increasing demand from the vast domestic market. There are several platforms in the country that are hosting online poker for gamers and Adda52.com is one such platform.

Adda52 is one of the oldest poker platforms in India as it was founded in 2011. They are working on the objective of taking the game from a niche category to a mass category where people actively involve themselves in playing poker.

In an exclusive interaction with MyKhel, Krishnendu Guha, Chief Revenue Officer, Adda52.com, spoke at length about the vision and mission of the platform and how they are working to break the taboo and social stigma surrounding the game.

Here are the excerpts:

MK: Please share a bit about Adda52 and its growth journey

Krishnendu Guha: Adda52 was founded in 2011 and since then the company has been on a growth trajectory. The social stigma was very strong at the beginning of our journey and if I were to ask someone in 2010, about taking up poker as a career? People would have probably laughed at me. Interestingly, poker as an industry has evolved over time and it's amazing to see people taking up poker as a professional game. It's truly motivating to see people like Muskan Sethi, who have won the Presidential Award, and stalwarts like Nikita Luther, who are adding up to the glory and growth of the online gaming/poker industry at large. The journey from getting our first player to 3 MN+ players in less than a decade is a huge milestone for us as a brand and ensures that Adda52 will continue to strive by providing the most secure and memorable experience while playing online poker.

Adda52 CRO Krishnendu Guha

MK: What are the challenges being faced by Adda52 and the online poker industry in India?

KG: I joined Adda52 in 2016 and at that time the biggest challenge was to overcome the social stigma of poker being associated with gambling and people not being used to transacting online for real money gaming. However, the situation has changed with people willing to transact online for entertainment and gaming. The other big challenge that still exists is awareness about the game. With Poker being originated in the west, there is still a lack of awareness in our country. An individual only starts to enjoy poker once they understand the nuances of the game and at Adda52, we are constantly aiming to provide a platform where one can learn, play and enjoy the game in a secure environment.

MK: How can the poker industry contribute to increasing India's footprint in the online gaming sector?

KG: Poker as a category is small in comparison to e-sports or fantasy sports and this can be attributed to the lack of awareness around the game. At this stage, awareness of poker holds utmost importance. It's crucial to ensure that more and more people know about poker and understand the nuances of the game to ensure active participation in the game. This will further result in building an environment that fuels the overall growth of the online gaming industry. The objective is to take it from a niche category to a mass category where people actively involve themselves in playing poker. And for that, we will continue to try to communicate myth-busting exercises, focusing on poker as a game of skill and more.

MK: Poker has reached tier 2/3 cities but there are still a lot of inhibitions in a gamer's mind. People still think of it as gambling. How do you plan to change this stigma?

KG: The objective is to win the war against the taboo and that can only be achieved through small battles which will encourage people to build knowledge and awareness about the game. Once people become aware, they will start trying their hands at the game and will come out with their perceptions about poker instead of acting upon any preconceived notions. We have run a lot of awareness campaigns in the past and plan to continue to do so in future as well.

MK: What is Adda52's vision and plans to support Modi Govt's vision in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) space?

KG: Among all the online games available to the people, Real money games (RMG) such as online poker and rummy have seen major traction since March 2020 in the 35+ years age bracket, as RMG offered users a chance to earn money apart from just entertaining themselves. As the popularity of real money games grows with each passing day, Adda52 is determined to provide a secure and reliable platform with an international gaming experience for the users. We strive to make Adda52 better everyday, so that the community grows and we can contribute to the market growth in the way our PM has envisioned.
MK: How do you sensitize the gamers new and old to prevent fraud?
KG: All gamers should always be alert while playing any online game. They should not share their game login credentials with anyone. We, at Adda52, strive to maintain fair play gaming on our platform at all times and we keep informing players about account safekeeping at regular intervals through different communication channels. We are also certified by the iTech Labs for Fair Play.

Story first published: Thursday, April 28, 2022, 19:45 [IST]
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