We did a little research about what Payment Methods benefitted most from the lockdowns? Online shopping, online betting and gambling have always been great outlets for many Indians. In 2018 alone, according to Statista, there were around 269 million online gamblers. Moreover, about 150 million online shoppers in the country.
With a country of this size and a customer base just waiting for more opportunities to kill boredom during lockdowns, it’s easy to understand why online transactions may have seen a surge during the pandemic.
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Online Transactions during the Pandemic
Digital payments at the beginning of the pandemic were low in numbers, but as 2020 neared its end, they surged. As compared to the year prior (2019), they had gone up by 80% by the latter half of 2020.
E-commerce and Shopping
As the pandemic got worse and people got more isolated indoors, there was only one medium of entertainment and distraction to turn to, the internet.
Organizations like United Nations have conducted studies. These studies show us how the global e-commerce sector saw a growth of $26.7 trillion just during the pandemic. Thirteen of the world’s top business-to-consumer (B2C) companies had amassed $2.9 trillion by the end of 2020, according to UNCTAD.
Gambling Payment Methods
Online gambling saw a reasonable surge during the lockdowns as well. More worldwide players started engaging in online gambling, especially in live casino games like online slots, poker, live roulette, and blackjack, etc. In India, online gambling with real Indian money became an escape for many players.
Online Casino Payment Methods
The most popular online casino sites all offer a range of payment options for players. The most common sort of online transaction happens through credit and debit cards. But eWallets like PayTM and PhonePe are also popular. Below, we attempt to explain which methods could be most likely to benefit during lockdowns.
Netbanking
Reports have suggested that more than 50% of all worldwide users and 40% of Indian users prefer using Netbanking to complete online transactions during the pandemic. It is also highly compatible with most casino sites. So, this method is fairly likely to witness some benefits.
UPI
Since the launch of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) 2.0 in 2018, this payment method has changed the landscape of online payments in India. In the world of eWallet apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, and PayTM, UPI is an easy choice of platform. The system is a one-stop solution for users to access their preferred eWallets. So it is highly appealing and is highly likely to benefit from the lockdown situation.
Credit and Debit Cards
Card payments make up the largest majority of online transactions across different platforms and purposes in India. With more than 28% of all online payments happening through credit and debit cards, these trends are likely to continue as the pandemic progresses and passes. In lockdowns, there’s nothing more convenient than using a card you already have at your disposal and engaging in your favorite live casino games online.
PayTM
PayTM is an Indian favorite. This payment method recorded a big growth in transactions of up to four times since it had the year prior. PayTM provides ease, convenience, and safe payments to users which makes it a leading choice for online gamblers, too. Plus, most online casinos accept it. We predict it to benefit greatly during lockdowns.
PhonePe
Flipkart’s payment app PhonePe witnessed a more than 50% growth in new users during the lockdowns of COVID-19. This payment method isn’t the most readily available one at online casinos. But it is likely to pose high growth in ones that do access it.
Mobikwik
Even though the sector itself witnessed growth, the eWallet Mobikwik suffered losses during lockdowns. The company is reported to have lost over INR 100 Cr during the pandemic. This payment system is also not compatible with many online casino sites. So we predict it is the least likely to benefit from the lockdowns.
Google Pay
G-Pay is easily the most innovative payment method since it updated its features during the pandemic and made it easier for Indian users to make online payments. It is very likely to benefit from the lockdowns due to its high reach.
AstroPay Card
AstroPay Card has been witnessing steady growth during the pandemic but does not seem to incur any especially large transaction numbers or revenues. It is compatible with most casino sites so it is likely to benefit hugely during lockdowns.
Which Payment Method will Benefit the Most?
As the industry witnesses growth in India, most of the common payment methods for online gambling through online casino sites are likely to benefit. The methods with the most promising outlooks are G-Pay, PayTM, and PhonePe.