Spartan Poker launch India’s first-ever gaming NFTs in the upcoming flagship event IOPC

In an exclusive interview, Mr. Amin Rozani, Founder and CEO of Spartan Group, shares key insights on poker and their mega flagship event India Online Poker Championship IOPC 2022, whose 12th edition is ongoing from 20th January to 6th February 2022, with a whopping INR 30 Crore GTD Guaranteed Prize money attached to it

Globally today, online gaming is no more about just entertainment or a hobby that a select few indulge in to kill time; it is a booming, serious business. India's online gaming market too is experiencing a paradigm shift and is growing at anexponential rate, with its growing middle class willing to shell out money for online gaming experiences. According to a KPMG report, online gaming in India is reaching a new pinnacle. Currently, from its 433 million users contributing to the revenue of INR 136 billion, it is slated to become an INR 290 billion industry with 657 million users by the year 2025. That is phenomenal growth in a short time! One of the games that have been dominating the online gaming scene in India for the last few years is Poker. In an exclusive interview, Mr. Amin Rozani, Founder and CEO of Spartan Group, shares key insights on poker and their mega flagship event India Online Poker Championship (IOPC) 2022, whose 12th edition is ongoing from 20th January to 6th February 2022, with a whopping INR 30 Crore GTD (Guaranteed Prize money) attached to it! Can you tell us the story of the origin of IOPC and its journey into being such a behemoth in the gaming industry over the years? As a tribute to the game we all loved, way back in 2009, along with Sameer Rattonsey and Peter Abraham, I had organized an international-level poker series called India Poker Championship (IPC), in Goa, which was a small affair with a humble turnout. But very soon it scaled up to such heights, that we found it difficult to keep the ship afloat! The digital extension of IPC called India Online Poker Championship (IOPC) was born in 2015 to empower players from across the country to play and compete with each other digitally at the highest levels. When we started this premier poker series bi-annually, we had announced a GTD of INR 6.5 Lakhs in 2015 which has grown to a GTD of INR 30 Croresin this year's edition! IOPC was born out of the love that some like-minded people had for poker and the way the tournament has scaled astronomically in such a short time itself is a testament to its immense popularity. Why do you think this game is preferred over so many others in the Real Money Gaming (RMG) sector? Poker is the world's most popular card game for a reason. It is a game of many surprises, and the permutations and combinations the game offers are innumerable. Multiple formats, multi-player gaming, multiple strategies, multiple games, the list is endless.And though it sounds easy in theory, it is a game that requires skills that are easy to learn but challenging to master.Getting ready for a championship requires not only preparation but also discipline. Whether one plays against friends or worthy opponents, poker is an adrenalin-pumping, fun game and the reward at the end of it makes it all the more thrilling. Have you seen a change in the demographics of participants over the years? The variety that poker offers as a game makes it so interesting. At IOPC, it being the country's grandest poker event, we see participants from all strata and demographics across India. Initially, we used to see just the professional fraternity eagerly preparing and waiting for the event, and having a ball for the three weeks the event is held. In the last few years, however, we have seen a rise in young professional poker players from smaller towns of India, a lot of who are making a living playing the game. In what way is this year's championship going to be different over the previous years besides the GTD to INR 30 Crore? The Spartan brand and IOPC are both tantamount to excitement as well as grand prize monies. Players can stand to win lakhs even from buy-ins as low as INR 550. It is purely a game of skill and if one has a greater appetite for risk and a deeper pocket, the value increases multifold. In this edition, as usual, multiple tournaments will run daily, starting from the afternoon, and continuing into the night. Players will be able to jump into a big game at almost any point in the day. Apart from guaranteeing winning players a payout from the prize pool, top performers can compete on a leaderboard (consisting of players that perform consistently well in tournaments across the series) for additional prizes worth 1 Crore, with the first-place winner getting as much as 30 lacs. The 12th IOPC edition is even more special, as we have in store something unique and futuristic lined up for all our participants, something that is happening for the first time in the history of Indiangaming –NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens)! Can you share some details on how Spartan is going to be the first brand to introduce NFTs as awards in IPOC'22? Though the technology is in itself at a nascent stage, we are proud to pioneer in the field of NFTs, web 3.0, and blockchain technology in the gaming industry and give participants a chance to monetize a virtual asset. It is going to change the way gamers fundamentally consume online sports, and will not only help the industry transition from a play-to-win model to a play-to-earn model, but will also change its reward structure. Do you think contestants will think NFTs are a great choice of rewards considering you have doled out gold badges and diamond-studded crowns in the past? Spartan Group has always gone the extra mile for its players. Winners at IOPC in the past have been rewarded with 18K gold trophies, gold badges, and once even a diamond-studded crown. NFTs are considered at par with the above in the digital world, if not more precious, and are a natural extension of the offerings we provide. Not only are they futuristic, they already hold a lot of value, both monetary and intrinsic. We are certain that NFT owners will be delighted with their appreciation over a period of time, in much the same way as our other past prizes have. As we look forward to rolling them out, we are sure the participants of IOPC'22 arealso eagerly awaiting their launch. With its futuristic approach, Spartan Poker is definitely bringing about a change in the gaming industry. What are your future plans? Spartan Group has from the beginning championed the expansion of poker in India, be itthe introduction of poker in India with IPC in 2009, orthe launch of Spartan Poker in 2014, orthe launch of IOPC in 2015. Gaming is an immersive experience and our goal is to provide a complete,responsible ecosystem for those who enjoy real money gaming. Our recent brand campaign - #LiveInEveryMove, captures this sentiment and aims to take it to a broader audience. This is also reflected in the launch of our multi-gaming vertical, AIO Games, which is significantly rising in popularity.

Simply put, our vision is and has always been to provide a unique, responsible, immersive, complete, andrewarding gaming experience for casual and professional gamers alike.

PWR PWR

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