PokerBaazi joins India’s daily fantasy sports frenzy with BalleBaazi

Daily fantasy sports (DFS) in India has enjoyed a rise in popularity over the past couple of years, due in no small part to it being classified as gambling. Lawmakers have said that DFS requires a great deal of skill—not just chance—and, as such, don’t fall under the category of gambling. Now, popular online poker site PokerBaazi is looking to expand its offerings by launching a DFS site called BalleBaazi.

The DFS portal launched at the beginning of the year and is operated by SBN Gaming Network Pvt. Ltd., GLaws.in reported. Despite being a part of PokerBaazi, BalleBaazi operates as an autonomous unit, with only limited oversight by PokerBaazi, which recently acquired a majority stake in the new site. The portal includes some of the standard DFS options, as well as micro fantasy formats and fantasy games that are specific to cricket and bowling.

PokerBaazi CEO Navkiran Singh said the investment is part of the company’s plans “to expand and grow online gaming in India as a whole.”

“Fantasy cricket has a huge scope in a cricket crazy country like India. Seeing a huge market potential and a very passionate and driven team of BalleBaazi, we decided this is the right time to get into fantasy sports. The synergy between our teams will certainly help us propel BalleBaazi to the top,” Singh said in a statement.