Sports betting in India
Sports betting are getting more and more popular in India especially online as more people are getting access to Internet. In recent years the market for betting online has grown in India. Popular sports such as cricket, kabaddi, horse racing and football are also some of the most common when it comes to betting.
On this site we will take a closer look on how sports betting in India works. We look at sports that are popular to bet on in India and also which sports betting sites that are best for online betting. We will also give you a guide on how to bet on sports online and compare betting online to betting in store. Last, but not least, we will answer some of the most common questions about sports betting.
Best sports betting sites for Indian players
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Popular sports to bet on in India
Like in most other countries, India has some sports that are more popular than others. The most popular sports i general are also the sports that are most popular when it comes to betting.
Cricket
Cricket is without doubt the most popular sport in India, you might even say that it is the national sport of the country. Introduced by the British in the 1700s, cricket has a long history in India. The national team is among the best in the world and has two times won the World Cup.
The Indian Premier League in cricket are one of the most popular sports league on the planet. 2014 it had the sixth highest average attendance of any sports league worldwide.
Kabaddi
Kabaddi is a contact team sport which is very popular in many states in India and also in neighbouring Bangladesh where it is considered the national sport of the country. There are two different types of kabaddi, standard style and circle style.
India is by far the leading nation in kabaddi, since the Indian national team has won all three world cups that have been played.
Horse racing
Horse racing is very popular in India and has a history that goes back over 200 years to the end of the 18th century. In India, just as in Britain, several races are a part of the classic races series, and that takes place throughout the year.
Over the years, both horses and trainers from India have had international success with several prestigious wins in races worldwide.
Football
Football in India is on the rise. Since the Indian Super League was established in 2013, the popularity of the sport has grown. All of the 11 clubs in the league have players from either Europe or South America, or both, which contributes to increasing the league’s quality.
Thanks to television, most people in India can watch football. Over a season, hundreds of millions of viewers watch the Indian Super League.
Best sports betting sites in India
Since the market for sport betting in India is growing, more and more betting sites are getting available in the country. It’s highly recommended choosing a site that focus on the Indian market and especially casinos that allows you to play with Indian Rupees. Here are a few of the best sites for sports betting in India.
#1 – 10Cric
10Cric is probably one of the best alternatives when it comes to betting on cricket. Besides a vast selection of odds for every game in the IPL, 10Cric also has a full guide to cricket betting in which you can learn everything that is worth knowing about cricket and betting on cricket.
10Cric also has promotions exclusively for the IPL with bonuses and free bets. On the IPL page you can read more about the league and get news and predictions for each team.
But 10Cric is so much more than just cricket as the site offers odds on over 25 other sports, including football, tennis and basketball, but also more obscure sports such as snooker, biathlon and cross-country skiing.
#2 – LeoVegas
LeoVegas offers betting on over 30 sports, including cricket, horse racing, football and basketball as well as smaller sports such as chess, darts and golf. There is also weekly promotions and a welcome bonus for 10 000 Rupees.
Besides that LeoVegas also offers live betting, which means that you are able to bet on a for example a cricket match while it is underway. It is also good to know that you can bet on so much more than just who wins the game. You can for example bet on total number of runs, who will be the next man out and who will be the top run scorer.
#3 – Betway
If you like bonuses and promotions than Betway is probably the right site. Besides a welcome bonus there are usually a few other bonuses as well such as a money back special on cricket where you get your money back if the last ball of the match is hit for a boundary. Other typical bonuses are free bets on selected cricket and football matches.
As for the odds selection Betway offers odds and betting on over 25 sports including cricket, football, tennis, basketball, horse racing, e-sports and much more. Betway also has a android app if you want to bet while you are on the go.
How do you bet on sports online?
Since there are literally hundreds of different betting sites online it is not very hard to find somewhere to bet on sports online. You simply just find a sports betting site that suites you, register and start placing your bets. We strongly advice that you look around on a few different sites before you choose which one to register on. Also make sure that it is a serious site that has a license of some sort.
What does live betting mean?
Live betting online is a popular form of betting that accepts real-time wagers on sports events that are taking place at that moment in time. You may see an area of your favourite sportsbook labelled as “In-Play”. Clicking that menu option takes you to the events that are “in play” around the world. The event may have just started, or it may only have two minutes left until full-time.
The important point here is that these live odds are forever changing and follow what is happening during the event. For example, if a team scores and goes 1-0 up in the last five minutes, the odds for the winning team go down, while the odds for the losing team will rise.
Live betting gives you the chance to make quick-decision calls in line with how the event is playing out. It’s a practical way to bet if you are watching or streaming the event live.
Betting online vs Betting in store
Internet has made betting much easier and available than it was before. The pros of betting online is that you have a vast selection of operators to choose from, which means that you are able to get the best odds. Many operators also give you some kind of bonus, something you don’t get when betting in a store. The cons of betting online is that you have to be a little more aware to make sure the site you are using is serious.
The pros of betting in store is that you always can be sure to be safe as betting stores are licensed by the government. The cons is of course that the selection of odds often is limited.
In Indian betting stores you can only bet on horse racing and on various lotteries, since these are the only legal forms of gambling in the country. With that said, it is not illegal in India to bet online since online gambling is not mentioned in The Public Gaming Act of 1867, which regulates gambling in the country.
FAQ
Let´s put it this way. It is not illegal to bet on sports online in India, since online betting and gambling is not regulated in the law. Some states, like Sikkim in the northeast, are pushing for betting to be legal in India. Sikkim has also legalized casinos and gambling houses, like the states of Goa and Daman.
So to sum it up, the view on online betting varies in different parts of the country, but it is not by definition illegal anywhere.
According to the tax law in India, all incomes whether it is from lotteries, casinos or horse racing is taxed with around 30%, and the same applies to wins on sports betting.
More and more operators are getting established on the Indian betting market, which means that the number of betting sites to choose from increases for every year. At the very moment, 10Cric has been a surprising top contender for the best sports betting site. Have a look at our page for our full list of sports betting sites that we think are the best for Indian players.
