IFSG Prez: India has over 5 crore fantasy players and it will increase in the coming years

Formed in 2017, Indian Federation Of Sports Gaming (IFSG) is India's first and only Sports Gaming self-regulatory industry body formed to protect consumer interests and create standardised best practices in the Sports Gaming industry.

IFSG recently appointed John Loffhagen as its President. In his new role, John will drive IFSG’s agenda of creating a thriving ecosystem for sports gaming users and operators in a number of ways including laying down guidelines for a common set of industry practices, dissemination of know-how to members and assisting with potential arrangements with rights holders for the benefit of members.

Sportskeeda had an opportunity to interact with Mr. Loffhagen and he took out time and answered to our questions. Below is the full interview of IFSG president:

What is the objective of IFSG in improving the fantasy sports ecosystem?

IFSG, India's first sports gaming self-regulatory industry body aims to protect consumer and operator interests by laying down a common set of guidelines and creating standardised best practices for the industry. As the unified voice of the industry, IFSG liaises with key stakeholders such as fantasy sports operators, sports leagues, government representatives, law firms, policy makers, etc. to create a regulatory framework and ensure a thriving ecosystem for users and operators alike.

What is the potential of fantasy games in India?

In recent years, the Indian fantasy sports industry has grown exponentially, both in terms of users and operators. Today, the industry has over 70 operators catering to 5 crore+ sports fans and this number is only set to increase, with online sports viewership aiming to reach an all-time high in India. According to the 2018 IFSG – AC Nielsen report ‘Scoring Big With Sports Gaming’, a staggering 2 out of 3 (67%) online cricket fans in India are aware of fantasy sports gaming. The advent of Fantasy Sports has converted a passive sports viewer into an active fan, with the report highlighting the changing nature of sports consumption with third screen interactivity showing a marked rise, both in metros and non-metros.

The recent times has also seen, almost all major sports leagues in the world using fantasy sports as their primary tool of fan engagement, a trend we are increasingly seeing in India. The CPL, ISL & NBA have all forged official partnerships with Dream11 to offer fantasy cricket, football and basketball. Further, EPL, IPL & PKL run their own fantasy sports games to keep their fans engaged.

Below are a few facts and figures of the fantasy sports gaming industry.

• 70 operators and growing: India fast becoming the battlefield of fantasy sports operators.

Fantasy Sports in India now has about 60 fantasy sports gaming operators, up from 30 operators in 2017. Among all these operators, Dream11 has around 90% market share followed by MyTeam11 and HalaPlay.

• With 2 crore fantasy sports users, India rapidly catching up with western countries

Fantasy sports has been played in the USA since the 1950s. In USA and Canada alone, there are 59.3 million (5.93 crore) Fantasy Sports users, while India is home to 2 crore fantasy sports users – growing from just 20 lakh in 2016.

• Fantasy Sports is highly sticky – 89% of the users play fantasy sports at least once a month

Out of the users who have ever played fantasy sports – 96% of them have played it at least once in the past 1 year and 89% of them played it in the last one month. The offering is highly sticky and engaging in nature.

• Fantasy Sports is taking India by storm

Fantasy sports is a growing phenomenon across India. There is significant awareness about fantasy sports gaming in India. Statistically, users from North India (69%) display a higher awareness of Fantasy Sports and participate more followed by West (67%), East (66%) and South (64%)

How have the national federations and international federations like BCCI, etc. taken this rapid growth?

Owing to the convergence of sports and technology, Indian sports fans enjoy a truly immersive and engaging viewing experience with fantasy sports. Given the power of fantasy sports gaming platforms in engaging and converting passive sports fans, several national and international leagues like ISL, CPL, NBA, KPL have partnered with been fantasy sports companies. Fantasy Sports enjoys a symbiotic relationship with real-life sports and it makes sense for Fantasy Sports brands & Sports Leagues to look for opportunities to co-opt and partner.

What are the challenges you faced in IFSG's teen years?

The fantasy sports gaming industry is still at a nascent stage but growing at a rapid pace. As the industry scales, having a standardised framework for operations and best practices in the industry becomes imperative. IFSG as a self-regulatory organization will play a pivotal role in framing industry benchmarks to create a common set of practices protect user and operator interests.

What is your roadmap from here on?

For IFSG to become a successful industry body, it is important for all stakeholders to align on the way forward. IFSG provides that platform for operators to discuss, share, and work together towards building this evolving industry. In the coming months, IFSG will interact with its members to understand key areas of concern in their respective fields of operation. It will also construct a detailed charter of rules and regulations, set industry benchmarks for a strong governance structure and disseminate the same to members. IFSG also aims to launch programmes and events that will help create awareness about the industry and its commitment to give back to the sports ecosystem.