A Magnetic Endeavour to Online Poker: Interview with Rahul Bhatia,

A Magnetic Endeavour to Online Poker

By Amarylisa Gonsalves

he increasing popularity

Tand demand of online poker has created potential for newer firms to bring more development and innovation in the poker industry. One such online poker platform committed to innovation and delivering exceptional poker experience to players is RVOnline which has Poker Magnet as its flagship company. Founded by two poker aficionados, Rahul Bahtia and Govind Agarwal, aims to popularise poker in India. We connected with Rahul Bhatia, co-founder RVOnline, who believes poker is to cards what jazz is to music.

How did the idea of starting a poker platform conceptualise?

I was introduced to poker on my business trips to the US and Canada and I gradually evolved from a curious onlooker to an avid poker enthusiast. In India, there was a mismatch in terms of players’ expectations and the legacy online platforms were offering in terms of the gaming experience.

I always felt a pressing need to elevate the players’ experience and customer service. I then shared my concerns with my long-time friend and fellow poker enthusiast, Govind. Soon, we were drawing plans on paper, and eventually, we were able to introduce a worthy poker app to the Indian market.

What are the players loving the most on Poker Magnet?

We are from the poker ecosystem, so, we understand the needs of our players in terms of our game interface, and user experience and try to address them. We do have various stand out features such as customised emojis, the ability to host a private table, and heads- up display option.

Players before profits are our motto. We are constantly striving for swiftness in resolving customer concerns. Our players can reach out to our customer support at any time of the day and night. We adhere to absolute commitment to the players.

Rahul Bhatia You are a pro poker player yourself, with a few international titles to your credit. How has your journey with poker been?

I have been a poker veteran myself which enabled me to build my player pool and it has been a great boost for me to sustain in this industry. My journey with poker has been nothing but exhilarating. It amazes me how far we have come and still, there is a long way to go in terms of establishing Poker Magnet as the leading app in the market.

Work from home with limited outdoor entertainment options and reduced travel time, acted as the major catalyst in driving new users to our app and creating a surge in time spent on our app. With enhanced smartphone and internet penetration, the evolution of 5G, and raising awareness, we are poised towards a long runway for growth.

How are your advertising campaigns breaking the taboo of poker being gambling?

Our advertising messaging is driven by our internal beliefs indicating that poker is a sport that offers a great interplay of intellect and psychology. In gambling, if you have a bad hand, the loss

is guaranteed, while in poker, your fortunes can be flipped around with skillful maneuvers even if you have been dealt a bad hand. The consistency of this messaging strongly resonates in our advertising.

How much of the market has Poker Magnet been able to capture so far?

We are a noob in the gaming industry and are taking baby steps every day to establish our footprint. The cost of customer acquisition is very high in this industry so anyone entering the market must have deep pockets.

We started two years ago on a relatively small basis as compared to the market leaders. However, we are catapulting to be a prominent name and quickly grabbing major market share. As of today, we are amongst the Top 10 players in the market. Greater internet and smartphone penetration, as well as increased marketing in tier 2/3 cities, will be the defining catalysts that bring more players into the fold.

What mechanism do you follow for securing the monetary funds of the players?

We have a very secured payment gateway in place with stringent audit practices. All our customer transactions are done via secure online banking or through our B2B agents (trusted Affiliate partners). Our cashout policy is extremely rigorous & systematic with a 24/7 turnaround for cash outs (KYC adherence).

How did Poker Magnet help COVI-19 affected society?

At Poker Magnet, giving back to our community is at the core of our ethics. While we gained maximum traction during the lockdown, we had our users’ attention and used it to contribute towards the ongoing Covid-19 relief efforts. We witnessed the plight, people are in with many losing their loved ones. In our humble way, we have contributed to Hemkunt Foundation – a non-profit entity that demonstrated an unwavering commitment to Covid relief efforts. We helped facilitate oxygen supply and supported affected children get short-term care facilities in various locations of SOS Children’s Village, India.

Any contributions towards daily labourers and migrants? The pandemic took a major toll on migrant workers and daily wagers leaving them stranded in dire need of financial and medical support. Under the food relief program of SOS Children’s Village, India, we helped to provide a month’s dry ration to migrant workers. This helped these vulnerable communities cope better in these trying times.

How did you ensure the well-being of your employees in such times?

Regardless of adverse circumstances, at Poker Magnet we have always worked as a team and helped one another whenever required. This created a sense of belonging and support multiplied during the pandemic. Employees reached out to each other and the management when they needed Covid relief resources. We also made a WhatsApp group where we posted, updated, and verified leads of all available resources. Our employees’ mental well-being is of paramount importance and given the current scenario, almost everyone had a difficult time dealing with their emotions at some point or the other. We made sure to keep a tab on our employees and their families and offered monetary support like Soft Loans to help them meet ends in these trying times.

Share your plans for Poker Magnet.

With rising disposable incomes and an ever-growing global exposure, poker is destined to capture India’s significant mind space. A Poker penetration in India will quickly catch up with the benchmarks of US and UK.

We have a dynamic and skilled team that has helped us to create a product that is a cut above the rest and stands out in the market. We are planning to come up with exciting cash game variants, launch large-scale poker tournaments and create a first-inmarket poker loyalty program co-branded with a major banking partner.