Popular online gaming platform MPL, which claims to have over 70 million users in India, is looking to add another 30 million by the end of IPL.

With India’s biggest cricketing extravaganza ‘IPL’ set to begin next month, online fantasy gaming platforms are gearing up to attract the maximum number of users to their platform.

Fantasy gaming platforms are doing everything they can to engage an increasing number of users during this 2-month long season. This includes incorporating new in-app features, sign-up bonus, virtual meet-and-greet sessions with cricketers & fun contests. Mobile Premier League (MPL), which claims to have a user base of more than 70 million in India, is working to add more 30 million users by the end of the season. During the last IPL season, its daily app installations had risen by 100% & fantasy gamers rose by 7 times, it stated.

“We are prepared to handle an even higher user influx this time. We are coming up with new tournament formats for all games on MPL and have exciting cash offers on referral,” Abhishek Madhavan, Senior VP, Growth & Marketing, MPL, said.

MPL is moreover offering sign-up bonuses to its new users. “There is a special product-level feature, which we will announce soon. We have some exciting celeb meet-and-greets planned for our gamers and fantasy users as well as in-app engagement,” Madhavan added.

Popular fantasy gaming platform, BalleBaazi.com said that it has introduced a new format, ‘Second Innings Fantasy’, which will let players create teams till the second innings begins. “Now users will get two chances to win in the same match. We have also added a chat section in the private league where users will now be able discuss the game with friends and family,” Saurabh Chopra, Chief Executive, BalleBaazi.com, said. It is looking to add 3 million new users to its current 5.5 million user base during the season & expand its social media presence by 60-70%.

Another fantasy gaming platform Blitzpools has hiked its price pools for users for the upcoming season, after an offerings upgrade. “To ensure consistent fan enga-gement, we are starting a daily fan zone YouTube channel that will do in-depth analysis of the IPL…As part of our customer retention programme, we have a coin-based system which will gratify players loyal to the programme and they can redeem that for cash, vouchers, merchandize or virtual meet-and-greet,” Blitzpools Founder Gaurav Assomull said.

“Online gaming companies including fantasy sports platforms are eagerly looking forward to leveraging IPL 2021 while anticipating a healthy double-digit growth. It is estimated that about 50 million gamers were engaged on fantasy platforms during IPL 2020 generating a turnover of approximately ₹20,000 million,” said Roland Landers, CEO of the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF).