As one of the first countries in the world, India decided to ban TikTok two and half years ago. It was a revolutionary act, as India was one of the biggest markets for the app. Since the app closed for good, Indians have sought other entertainment like gaming and iGaming.
Why Was TikTok banned?
In 2020, the biggest market for TikTok outside of China was India. But a ban put an end to that. The Indian government decided to ban the app, a decision that happened as a result of geopolitical tussling when China clashed with India in a Himalayan border area. The use of TikTok is also at stake in other countries like the U.S. because of geopolitical reasons and countries like France are also banning the app on government devices. Therefore, Indians are looking for other places to get their form of entertainment.
TikTok Keeps The Data
Almost three years after TikTok was closed, it was reported that the app proceeded to have access to Indians’ data. A TikTok employee told Forbes that the Indians are not aware of how much of their data is exposed to China, even though the app is closed.
The fact that Indians’ data is still visible to TikTok employees means that there is a social mapping tool that makes the user’s closest connections pop up. This is information like location and often their full name. From there, the employees can view information that identifies the user. A spokesperson from TikTok responded to the claims with a comment saying that TikTok has complied with the ban, but did not admit whether TikTok still uses the data.
iGaming Becomes Popular
Because of the ban and the controversy surrounding the data usage from TikTok, Indians are looking for other forms of entertainment. iGaming, also known as online gaming, encapsulates games like sports betting and table and dealer games at online casinos. Because of its wide definition, there are many fun online game options whether the gamers enjoy playing poker or roulette. With all the events, more and more players join in on the fun. And the popularity is tangible, as the iGaming market is estimated to reach over $1 billion in 2023.
What iGaming Offers
Online gaming has grown immensely throughout the last couple of years and for good reasons. For one, many players use the games to strengthen their strategies when playing poker. At the same time, players get a sense of achievement when they win games. Just like when playing Counter-Strike, Fortnite, or some other online game, players can strengthen their social skills when playing at an online casino. Some games have built-in communities and other games have chats, where you can communicate with players all around the world.
Videos on YouTube
The end of TikTok, however, became a positive surprise for the owners of YouTube which proved to be another form of entertainment. The short videos were replaced with videos on YouTube in the form of ‘shorts’. After the ban, more users began investing time in short videos on YouTube instead. Just two years after its launch, YouTube Shorts was used by 1.5 billion users.
Content writer with years of expertise in copywriting, freelancing, online marketing, and SEO