Unlocking India: PIN-UP Partners’ Market Mastery Guide

India has long been one of the most prominent and profitable GEOs in both gambling and betting verticals. It’s a vast country with one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Over the past five years, India has changed a lot — and so have the ways affiliates work with this market. 

When it comes to content consumption, the country has taken a huge leap toward Westernization. From online casinos to streaming platforms, global trends are quickly winning over Indian audiences. This shift opens up exciting opportunities for those who work with traffic and know how to adapt their approach to local and cultural specifics.

India still remains a unique and distinctive GEO — and today, PIN-UP Partners break down how to make the most of it.

Stereotypes, stereotypes everywhere!

No other country in the world seems to carry as many stereotypes as India. Dirty streets in Delhi, poverty, cows on the roads, packed trains, super spicy food… the list goes on. But fast forward to 2025, and you’ll see a very different India: a high-tech, fast-growing, and ambitious nation with an economy that’s climbing to the top of the global ranks.

Just look at the numbers: in terms of nominal GDP, India ranks 6th globally, right behind the U.S., China, Japan, and Germany. Experts say that by 2030, it could be knocking on the door of the top three. That alone makes it one of the most attractive GEOs in iGaming today.

So what does this mean for affiliates? It’s simple: a growing economy = higher income levels = more profit for you and your team. Indian players show incredibly strong LTV — many stay loyal to platforms for years. As their earnings grow, so will yours.

What is India really like?

India is a land of contrasts. To truly understand it, you’ve got to piece the puzzle together. Here are the core factors to consider before diving into iGaming traffic in India:

Massive user base

India is the most populous country in the world — over 1.4 billion people live there. The average age is around 28. That means a young, digitally savvy audience that’s highly engaged online. Modern Indians are open to global trends, actively seeking personal growth — and very interested in online gambling.

Digitally-driven

Over 50% of the population is now online, and that number keeps growing, especially in rural areas. A lot of users are just now getting their first experience with online casinos and betting platforms. Easy sign-up flows, localised content, and a clean, intuitive interface are essential for success — all of which PIN-UP delivers.

Wealth gaps you can navigate

At first glance, India may not seem like the most lucrative GEO in terms of average income. In 2024, the average monthly salary was around ₹21,000 (~$255). But that’s just the average. In major cities, income is much higher. In Mumbai — India’s financial hub — people working in finance make around $1300/month. In Delhi, average salaries range from $1000 to $1200 depending on the industry.

Diverse and complex

Every affiliate has their own traffic strategies, but one thing is clear: India isn’t a single, uniform market. It’s a patchwork of regions, each with its own languages, traditions, and — crucially — religions. That absolutely impacts user behaviour and conversions.

Take this example: India is home to around 202 million Muslims — roughly 14.4% of the total population. If you’re planning campaigns during Ramadan, avoid states with large Muslim populations like Uttar Pradesh or West Bengal. During this time, many users pause gambling altogether, and you’ll likely see a dip in conversions.

But, the moment Ramadan ends, engagement skyrockets. Savvy affiliates who prepare in advance can capitalise on this surge in demand.

The language factor

Most affiliates stick to Hindi or English for their creatives. Both are official languages in India, but using them across all regions isn’t always the smartest move. Less than half of India’s population speaks Hindi as their first language — and in some states, it’s barely spoken at all.

In contrast, targeting West Bengal with Bengali-language creatives can be a game-changer. This region is known for its strong sense of identity, and using the local language builds trust and resonates much deeper with the audience. Bengali in your campaigns can add real value and significantly boost conversions.

English remains a universal tool, but mainly for the middle and upper segments — those who speak it well and are used to international brands. If you’re targeting that audience, English creatives aimed at big cities can work great. But if your audience is wider, you’ll need to localize your content.

What about iGaming verticals?

In India, both online casino games and sports betting are popular. Cricket, of course, remains the undisputed favorite — but things are changing. In 2025, it’s no longer unthinkable for a user to skip a live match and spin a few rounds in Crazy Time instead. While still an exception, it shows how the market is evolving — and how iGaming is quietly winning ground.

Betting in India

Let’s make one thing clear — cricket isn’t just a sport in India. It’s a religion. The same way Brazilians live and breathe football, Indians live for cricket. The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the crown jewel of club cricket, and the numbers speak for themselves. The 2024 season drew in over 505 million viewers, with a record 64.1 million watching the final live at the same time (not even counting the global diaspora!).

And when India’s national team plays in the Cricket World Cup — especially against Pakistan — the excitement reaches an entirely new level. This is more than just a match; it’s a political and cultural event. These clashes bring record-breaking viewership and unparalleled engagement. We’ve broken down everything you need to know to run high-converting IPL campaigns in the rest of this guide.

Football is India’s second most popular sport. Its rise began in the mid-2010s, thanks to the launch of the Indian Super League (ISL). Inspired by the success of the MLS, Indian clubs brought in global football legends like Alessandro Del Piero, Robert Pirès, and Diego Forlán. While the hype around the “super league” has cooled down, the fan base continues to grow. As of 2024, India’s football audience has reached 300 million people.

Kabaddi holds a unique place in Indian sports culture. This ancient contact sport — a mix of tag and wrestling — doesn’t resemble anything familiar to European viewers. But it’s booming, thanks to the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), launched in 2014. The very first season drew 435 million viewers, and by 2025, the PKL alone surpassed 500 million viewers. Bettors also follow international tournaments like the Kabaddi World Cup and Kabaddi Masters.

Field Hockey might not be as mainstream today, but it’s still deeply rooted in India’s sporting history. The country hosted the 2018 Hockey World Cup, and its national team continues to bring home medals from major international competitions. The sport still has an estimated 15 to 30 million fans across the country.

Esports is gaining massive traction, especially among younger players. India’s under-25 male audience is particularly active in betting on tournaments in Dota 2, Counter-Strike, and Valorant. With the right targeting, this segment can deliver high conversion rates and strong ROI, especially during major global events.

As of 2024, India had around 140 million active sports bettors. During major tournaments like the IPL or the Cricket World Cup, this number can surge past 300 million. And here’s the kicker — these stats don’t even include users on international platforms. So, the real number of active bettors is likely even higher. 

Gambling in India

On the PIN-UP platform, there’s one important trend: sooner or later, a player who starts with sports betting will move on to other sections of the product. This rule holds true in most cases.

The reality of 2025 is that not all users come in through cricket. As mentioned above, India is rapidly becoming more Westernised, and global trends are slowly taking root here. For example, the popularity of online casino streamers has already taken over Western markets, and now this wave is reaching Indian users. As a result, the gambling audience in the country is steadily growing.

At the moment, the most popular games on the PIN-UP platform are:

• Casino: Aviator, Balloon, Leprechaun Riches — crash games are clearly leading the way. They’re a perfect fit for the mindset of the Indian player, who loves fast-paced action and instant wins.
• Live Casino: Crazy Time, Stock Market, XXXtreme Lightning Roulette — again, these games show that players are all about big multipliers and excitement. 

Traditional games like blackjack — where bankrolls grow slowly over time — aren’t as popular. What works here are games with quick-fire formats and the chance to hit massive multipliers.

What about traffic?

Approaches and sources

Influence marketing performs best in this GEO. Streams on YouTube and Twitch work especially well in India — they let creators showcase the product in action, walk new players through the mechanics, and build hype in real time.

In addition, audience engagement here breaks all records: viewers follow the streamer’s emotions, experience wins and losses together with them.

The level of trust and sense of presence can’t be achieved through traditional ad formats. However, it’s not just streams that perform well — Instagram traffic, especially from Stories, shows high conversion rates. Indian users enjoy consuming short-form content and tend to trust influencer opinions.

Note: Aviator is one of the most recognizable products in this GEO. A dynamic landing page featuring a playable Aviator demo delivers excellent conversion rates for both registrations and FTDs.

Of course, classic traffic sources like Facebook, Google, PPC, UAC, ASO, and SEO also perform well. They’re a reliable base for user acquisition — especially when paired with solid localisation and smart targeting.

As mentioned earlier, India’s linguistic diversity plays a key role. In 2024, Google launched several initiatives to support local languages across the country. This trend is hard to ignore and could have a major impact on SEO soon. It’s expected that more and more Indian users will start using native languages in Google search, opening the door for websites built in regional languages to gain traction.

Creatives

There’s a common myth in the affiliate world that creatives for India always need to look flashy and expensive. But in reality, emotional connection is what really matters. Familiar characters, cultural references, and local flavour often work way better — they feel natural and relatable. Translating copy into local languages builds serious trust, especially in areas where Hindi isn’t the main language.

Adapting copy to regional languages significantly boosts audience trust, especially in areas where Hindi isn’t the primary language.

If we were to rephrase the well-known “Write it — shorten it” principle for this market, it would become: “Localise it — simplify it.” Avoid complex phrasing and keep messaging as clear and straightforward as possible. Don’t forget: most Indian users access content via budget smartphones, so mobile-friendly landing pages that load quickly are a must.

What else works well in creatives? 

• Clear and simple CTAs with easy-to-understand bonuses — no complicated terms or hidden conditions. The simpler the offer — the better the conversion.
• Maximum content-native integration with influencers. This trend shows consistently strong results for our product. The creative should feel natural, not like an ad — more like a sincere recommendation or a subtle, valuable offer. Indian users are highly sensitive to authenticity, and that’s a key factor in driving high conversions.

How to avoid wasting your budget when driving traffic to India

If you’ve never worked with this GEO and are planning to test it out, this section is for you. Below, we break down the key mistakes that can derail your campaigns in India…

Don’t copy-paste strategies from other GEOs

Just because a campaign worked well elsewhere (like in LatAm or Europe) doesn’t mean it will perform the same way in India. Strategies that delivered results in other countries — or even on other products — might completely flop here, or at the very least, require serious adaptation.

Work with local influencers and communities

Local creators understand their audience better than anyone else. In a country with such a complex social and cultural landscape, it’s essential to partner with those who know the mindset and values of their followers.

Don’t overuse the same influencers

The Indian audience gets fatigued fast. If you overuse the same creator, their followers will start tuning out, and conversions will dip. In this GEO, it’s crucial to refresh your influencer pool regularly and test out new faces.

Avoid “overloaded” influencers

If a creator is already promoting half the market (especially your direct competitors), their audience starts tuning out sponsored content. If you see someone pushing out back-to-back ads for Competitor 1 and Competitor 2 — skip them, no matter how promising the numbers may look.

Localise your content

We can’t stress this enough. India is not a “one-language” country. Translating your ads and landing pages into regional languages builds trust and significantly boosts conversion rates. English or Hindi alone won’t cut it in many states. Your ROI will depend heavily on how well your content speaks to the local audience.

Optimise everything for mobile

In India, the vast majority of users access the internet via smartphones, not desktops. Make sure your websites and landing pages are fully optimized for mobile and load quickly, even on slow connections.

Explore local platforms

Sure, YouTube and Facebook work well — but have you explored Moj, Josh, ShareChat, or TakaTak? These local social networks can deliver impressive results — if you take the time to understand how they work.

Don’t overlook seasonality

The IPL cricket season kicked off on March 22, 2025. It’s the best time of the year to launch campaigns in India. Seasonality always matters in betting, but in India, it’s ten times more important. The IPL only lasts two months — make sure you’re in during that window.

High conversions ahead

No matter how complex India may seem at first glance, we’ve seen dozens of affiliates succeed in this GEO. India is a land of opportunity, and it could be your chance to scale traffic and grow your results significantly.

The affiliate program PIN-UP Partners has everything ready to help you enter this market smoothly: landing pages, creatives, funnels, and a product fully localised for the region. Still have questions? Your personal manager is always here to help you with the details.

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