Ever happened that you opened your mobile recharge app and ended up gaming for hours? Telecom companies across the world are using their mobile apps as a platform for esports enthusiasts to earn lucrative rewards such as Amazon vouchers, Uber rides, Swiggy coupons and data top-ups etc.And B2B platform providers like Gamerji (India), Swamio (Canada) and Strive Cloud (Belgium) have perfected the gaming-as-a-service model.For instance, Ahmedabad-based esports platform Gamerji, which offers titles such as FIFA, Valorant, Call of Duty, Pokemon Unite etc., has partnered with 34 telecom companies globally to integrate these games within the telco apps and organise cross-border tournaments.“We have partnered with telecom companies like Vodafone Idea in India, Du in UAE, Mobily in Saudi Arabia and Ooredoo in Qatar and amassed over 65-70 million users,” said Sohan Thacker, founder, Gamerji, told ET.“Users compete for virtual currency such as gold coins (and not real money) which are then rewarded by the telco through rewards like free data, bill discounts to incentivize gaming through their apps. Gamerji's AI technology matches players of similar skill levels, enhancing gameplay experience and skill-building,” he said.Thacker recalled that initially it was hard to convince telecom companies that users would do anything else on the telco app other than recharging. However, today 37% of Gamerji's revenues are driven solely from the B2B telecom segment. The MyVI app witnesses a few thousand users per day, while foreign telcos gather 20,000-30,000 daily active users with higher spending potential per user, he said.When asked about the challenges in growth of the model, Thacker said that different regions have data localisation requirements in gaming. “Different languages, cultural preferences and varying game popularity in different regions are also some hurdles to build scalable cross-country tournaments,” he added.Going forward, the company aims to focus on India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It is also aiming to collaborate with federations for major tournaments such as the Esports Olympics and Southeast Sports World Cup.