The Indian people love sports, and a majority of them are either playing, watching or betting on their favourite sports. Some of the popular Indian sports are cricket, football, hockey and tennis. Thanks to technology, their love for the game has moved online, and Indian sports betting has become quite popular.
It is estimated that the country has more than 500 million mobile users which is a market that online casino operators are tapping into. If you’re looking for Indian sports betting sites to kick off your betting, there are several quality sites. Sites such as Betway, 10Cric, ComeOn and Bet365 offer the best experience and odds for Indian sports.
Before we go on, it’s important to know that Indian sports betting is legal and you won’t get arrested for it. Most betting sites are, however, not local, so if you’re searching for a site that you can trust with your safety, check out the ones we recommend. Any site that we recommend must have a license from a reputable authority such as the UK Gambling Commission or Malta Gaming Authority.
betting in India has also become much easier thanks to sites that offer an Indian-tailored experience. You can now bet using Indian rupees (INR) and select Hindi as a language option for the site.
For all popular sports, Indian sports betting sites offer the best odds and promotions aimed at making your betting worthwhile. You also don’t have to stress over transactions as you can make your deposits and withdrawals through conventional methods such as UPI or NetBanking.
Indian Sports – Cricket
India is mostly known for two things—its Films and Cricket. Cricket is part of the Indian culture and has been played for many years. The sport has a huge fanbase that the Indian Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world.
Whenever there’s a big cricket event being played, about 400 million people tune in to watch. According to betting analysts, around $200 million in bets get placed when the Indian cricket team plays its international one-day matches. Other than International competitions, other betting markets you can choose are IPL, BBL, Test Championship, T20 World Series, APL and Global T20.
The most popular market is the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has many pre-game and in-play betting options. Some of the common bets are match-winner, match handicap, top batsman, top bowler and winner of the coin toss. The top bookies for cricket in terms of odds and markets are 10Cric and Betway.
Indian Sports – Hockey
Hockey is one of the oldest games played in India and is unofficially considered the ‘National Sport of India’. Among all Indian sports, hockey is one that the country performs well in international tournaments. India’s men hockey team has won 8 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals which is more than any other team in the world.
Hockey also has its fair share of punters who wouldn’t mind placing a bet on their favourite teams. Some of the popular hockey tournaments you can bet on are the World Cup, National Hockey League (NHL), Champions Hockey League and Kontinental Hockey league. However, the NHL reigns supreme over all, and you won’t want to miss betting on matches.
You can choose whether to bet before the game starts or while its in-play. The top five live betting options mostly used by players are match winner, correct score, next team to score a goal, over/under and total goals. If you’re new to Indian sports betting and wondering which sport to choose, hockey is an excellent choice. Bet on hockey at top bookies such as Betway, Bet365 and Casumo.
Indian Sports – Football
Let’s talk about football, the most popular sport in the world! In India, however, football comes second after cricket. Although India’s national football team ranks 96th in FIFA rankings and doesn’t stick it in the net; the sport is quite popular in the country. The Indian Super League, which is the local football league, has gained a lot of traction.
Indian people are also huge fans of international football events such as the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League and La Liga. With so many events, you are guaranteed of a football betting match every day of the week.
You can even bet on a match that is five days to come as the odds are already offered. Football has the most tournaments and betting options that can have you choosing out of 100 bet types. If you bet at top bookies, don’t miss out on cashback, accumulator and early payout promotions.
Football is also another sport that offers live betting options, and you can bet on a match that is still in-play. Most punters prefer this option as they follow up on the progress of the game. Bet365, however, takes it a notch higher and also offers live streaming. On their site, you can watch the top matches of the day as you place your bets.
Indian Sports – Tennis
Tennis was introduced in India around 1880s and is among the ten most popular Indian sports. Some of the top tennis players the country has had are Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna.
When it comes to tennis betting, the sport has good odds, and most bookies offer several markets. You can bet on major tournaments such as the four Grand Slams, and the nine ATP Masters. These events are mostly bet on, not only in India but also globally.
Those aren’t the only tournaments offered, there’s also the Australian Opens, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Opens. You can choose to place a bet pre-game or in-play since bookies such as Bet365 have the live betting feature.
Indian Sports – Motor Racing
When Narain Karthikeyan was signed as the first Indian driver by the Formula 1 team, the sport gained the attention of many Indian people. The sport started becoming popular, and in 2011, the country hosted its first-ever Formula 1 Grand Prix. If you want to bet on motor racing, the Formula 1 and Motor GP tournaments have you covered. Any sports bookie that we recommend as the best Indian sports betting sites have the following features;
- Best Odds – With the many bookies around, it’s important to place your bets at bookies with high odds. We also make sure that the odds are updated in real-time.
- Free Bets & Promotions – Players get enticed to a bookie that offers promotions; who wouldn’t want to bet with free money? The betting sites we recommend oftenly have promotions for various sports which can earn you extra money.
- Live Betting & Streaming – Live betting is the future of betting. Placing a bet as the match is in progress gives you a better chance of winning and that’s why most punters prefer it. It’s even better if the bookie offers live streaming directly from their site.
- Safety & Security – As we mentioned earlier, most betting sites in India are foreign, so it’s crucial to thoroughly check their safety. Sites we only consider are those that have a valid license from the Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission and other leading organizations.
- Fast & Secure Transactions – Getting your money in and out of a betting site needs to be fast and secure. Common payment methods such as NetBanking and UPI are a plus for any betting site. We do, however, consider other methods such as Visa, Skrill, MasterCard, and PayPal.
Now that you know all about sports betting in India, where do you start from? Check some of the sites that we recommend such as Betway, Bet365, 10Cric, ComeOn and Casumo, and register an account. The process usually takes a few minutes, and you’re done. Claim the free bets welcome bonus and start betting on your favourite sport!