If there’s anything that rivals Bollywood’s status in India, it’s sports. Be it Cricket or Football, you will see gully tournaments in every block and champions in every housing complex. But with shrinking space and time, the love for sports is struggling to breathe and that is where fantasy games platforms bring you a much-needed reprieve. The sector officially known as esports, there are multiple platforms where you can focus on your love for sports-from cricket to football to kabaddi to pool and even win cash rewards for it!
Fantasy sports have taken the online gaming sector by the storm. In case you are not already registered (a rare possibility, I am sure)- this article lists out the leading fantasy sports platforms that deserve your attention. And to mark a damakedaar debut, do check the best coupons for fantasy games online from GrabOn before your sign-up for one.
Top 10 Trending Fantasy Games Platforms in 2024
1. Dream11
The Mogul of Fantasy Sports in India, if there is one, is undoubtedly Dream11. Currently valued at more than a billion US dollars, Dream11 is India’s topmost online fantasy gaming platform with a registered user base of approximately 51 million. The homegrown startup that was founded in 2008 by Bhavit Seth and Harsh Jain also happens to be one of India’s very first to focus on fantasy games and has been successful in attracting investors reputed enough to earn an entry into the rumored ‘unicorn’ club, investors such as Tencent (the company behind China’s all-encompassing WeChat app) and Steadfast Capital. In 2019, Dream11 became the Indian Premier League’s official fantasy sports partner until 2024, signed on by BCCI which speaks volumes for not only Dream11 itself but also the blooming fantasy sports sector in India it is hoping to encash.
Like most other platforms, Dream11 allows the participants to choose a team before a match begins, based on their player performance and other statistics. The chosen players’ performances bring respective participants a rank by the game ends, and the participants earn winning rewards according to their respective ranks accumulated. Dream11 currently enjoys a 90% market share, despite having only about 15% of paid participants, and the fact that the app can not be downloaded directly from Google Play store since the store does not allow apps with real cash incentives.
2. Halaplay
Another daily fantasy sports platform for the enthusiasts, Halaplay was launched in 2017 and comes the closest to being an actual rival to Dream11. Halaplay has fantasy leagues for cricket, football, and kabaddi. It offers two leagues, Public and Private. The public leagues are open to all whereas, in Private league, the participants get to create their own leagues with entry fees. Unlike Dream11 where you have to make your selection within a stipulated time before the game starts, Halaplay lets you choose your players until the last minute before the game, as well as allowing you to edit your selections even after the squad line-up is revealed.
3. Rein Games
The Noida-based startup was founded as recently as 2018. According to Vaibhav Gupta, the first founder of the company- the gaming platform is aimed at providing gen-Z online gamers a safe and hack-free gaming environment to earn real money through a transparent and high-quality gaming experience. Unlike Dream11 that dabbles in all the major sports in India, Rein Games currently offers a ball pool game named Real 8. The platform charges a retainer fee of Rs.20 and the rest of the deposit, including any winnings, can be consumed over time to play the game or transferred to the user’s bank account/wallets. Unlike any existing online pool games, Rein Games claims to provide an uninterrupted gaming experience where the user can log in and resume playing from any other device in case of a fluctuating network or an incoming call, without losing the game. Rein Games currently has nearly three lakh app downloads and sees approximately 10,000 players a day spending an average of 60 minutes on the app.
4. 11wickets.com
Touted to be among the fastest-growing fantasy sports platforms, 11wickets was formed in 2018 keeping a target audience of cricket and football fans in mind. Owned and operated by Ability Games, 11wickets focuses on cutting-edge research and technology in the domain. The platform allows participants to form their personal teams within a budget of only 100 credits if you are looking to start small.
5. Cricplay
Another fast-growing platform by Times Internet Limited, Cricplay boasts of more than one million active users. It is also one of the platforms that come with not only its own website but also an android app. With Gautam Gambhir being the face of the brand, Cricplay is slowly making its presence known. The platform offers fantasy leagues for cricket fans and Challengers Leagues for football lovers. In Fantasy League, you can either select a public team within a 1000 credit budget or pay and join a private contest. For football, you can play Coin Rush, Head2head and 10 Khiladi in order to win Cricplay coins. A Daily Predictions feature allows you to predict the daily results and let consecutive wins turn into a streak where participants with the longest winning streak stand a chance to win cash prizes.
6. MPL-Mobile Premier League
MPL is a Bangalore based online platform developed by Galactus Funware Technology where you can play mobile games like Fruit Chop, Pool, Carrom or even Ludo, besides pro cricket and football. The platform offers simple functionality as one of its main attractions to its more than 25 million strong user base. At MPL, you can either join a live tournament or register in advance for upcoming events, the winning rewards instantly added to your wallet. Within Indian Skipper Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador, MPL is expected to score bigger points in the coming days.
7. Ballebazi
The Delhi-based startup primarily targets cricket fans as the name suggests. With cricket being the unofficial national game, it is no wonder startups like Ballebazi are looking at considerable revenue growth in the coming years. Ballebaazi, however, stands apart from its peers in the freedom it allows its users in creating their own private teams and invite-only the ones they are interested in, which means it’s exclusive access and you can’t simply buy your way in.
8. GamingMonk
Another Delhi product, GamingMonk was launched in 2014 as a marketplace for sports paraphernalia and accessories like gaming consoles, etc. However, joining the trend in 2017, it rose into an export platform with a considerable 5 million dollars investment. With its latest capital flow of a million dollars from Japanese gaming company GameWink, the startup has claimed to witness a 500% growth in its user base last year.
9. Rackonnect
Last but not the least, Rackonnect is India’s leading platform for all sports requiring a racquet. For those sports enthusiasts taking a break from bats and balls, Rackonnect offers an opportunity to chat, connect and play tournaments with fellow players, both online and offline. Anyone can host a tournament or participate in one, so all you need to bring is your A-game!
A good part of fantasy sports’ success can be attributed to the fact that most of us simply do not have the time or space to go out and physically participate in games. Some of us also lack the physical fitness required to play body contact sports but excel at analyzing data- a skill rewarded by fantasy games platforms. With the incentive of cash rewards combined with the cheap availability of mobile data and the rise of online transactions, fantasy sports are sure to grab a lot more attention in the coming times.
Author Bio
Jaya Dwivedi – An impulsive backpacker, a storyteller, and an unsophisticated foodie, Jaya love exploring new destinations and cuisines. Content Marketer by the day, foodie by the night, she’s always on a lookout for long-weekends to explore a new destination.
