India Roundup: Delta Corp gaming revenue grows 45.8%, Pokerbaazi launches live poker room

Delta Corp gaming revenue grows 45.8%

India’s only listed gaming company, Delta Corp Ltd, continues its good run in 2016.

Delta Corp gaming revenue grows 45.8%In a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the gaming and hospitality company reported that its consolidated income from gaming operations has reached INR1.24 billion (USD18.5 million) in the July to September period—a 45.8 percent increase compared to the same period in 2015.

Delta Corp’s comprehensive net profit after taxes and minority interests also jumped 680 percent year-on-year to INR322.5 million.

Delta Corp. holds three of the six issued offshore gaming licenses in Goa in addition to an integrated casino resort in Daman, and three luxury hotel properties in Goa—Deltin Suites, Deltin Palms and Villa Marina by Deltin. The government of Goa has also authorized Delta’s wholly owned subsidiary, Delta Pleasure Cruise Company, to operate MV Royale Flotel – Deltin Caravela on Mandovi River.

In July, the hospitality company announced that it has negotiated an agreement to operate a casino in the Denzong Regency Hotel, located in Gangtok in the state of Sikkim.  The company already has two existing casinos in Sikkim—Casino Mahjong in the Mayfair resort and Casino Sikkim in Hotel Royal Plaza.

Aside from casinos, Delta Corp has also ventured into online gaming, and paid more than USD7 million in cash to acquire 26 percent of shares in Gauss Networks Pvt. Ltd., the company that owns and operates India’s largest poker site Adda52.com, in August. Delta Corp is also reportedly negotiating a deal to acquire online rummy site Ace2three.com.

Pokerbaazi launches live poker room in Bengaluru

Speaking of online gambling, poker website Pokerbaazi recently acquired the Phoenix poker room in Bengaluru, which it rebranded as “PokerBaazi Live.”

“With this significant partnership, we have enhanced our user base, giving players a secure and fair environment where they can learn and have fun,” Navkiran Singh, CEO of Pokerbaazi, said in a statement.

Phoenix is one of the more than half a dozen poker rooms operating in Bengaluru, courtesy of the Karnataka High Court’s legal protection to poker via a 2013 ruling in favor of the Indian Poker Association.