Betting on games of chance or sporting events have been a pastime favourite for many a generation, and India is no exception to this game. If anything, India has this more ingrained in their DNA, tradition and culture than most other countries around the globe. Whether it be betting on sports, political outcomes, weather, dice, Teen Patti or any kind of game that involves chance, gamblers in India love to place a bet on it. The betting scene in India has now moved to become online betting due to the exponential increase in technological advancements. The online betting sites are adapting to this surge in players by offering responsive websites and online betting apps to give their users an easier time to interact with their products. The availability of betting sites in India has not been that great over the years. But in the recent past, there have been more and more betting sites that are not only opening up for Indian players but specifically tailoring their services to Indians by offering deposits in Indian rupees (INR), Hindi translations and other features. It is hard to find what the best options are out there, but this here can help you out a little. Here are some of the Indian betting sites that are popular among the players.
This is a list of the most popular and visited betting sites in India.
- Betway: Biggest welcome offer
- ComeOn: Great overall gambling site
- 10CRIC: Allows only Indian players
- Dafabet: Open to exchange betting
- Bet365: World-renowned betting brand
- 22Bet: Big selection of cricket bets
- 1xBet: Offers cash on delivery
- LeoVegas: Amazing mobile product
Below is a brief description of what we think are the popular 2 options for Indian players and the reasons for that:
What's on page
Betway in India
Betway is one of the topmost bookmakers in India. They are very friendly to the market in India, accepting INR as a currency and offering lots of betting options on many different sports, including cricket of course!
Some of the benefits offered by Betway are:
- Variety of deposit options
- A mobile app that includes live streaming
- Caters to the Indian market
- Competitive odds
- The generous welcome bonus and weekly free bets
Betway is not a newcomer to the online betting market. It has been operating since 2006, but they are new to the Indian online betting market. They are looking to expand to their market in India. This paves the way for some of the good things like their exclusive India 100% deposit bonus up to Rs 30,000 for a new player.
10Cric in India
At close second place is 10CRIC. They are an exclusive Indian site and more focused on sports that are popular in India, such as Cricket and Kabaddi. They are very sensitive to local issues and will try to help you find solutions to any problems that you may encounter.
Some highlights for 10CRIC:
- One of the largest welcome bonuses available
- Many different deposit options
- Quick and Helpful support
In addition to the above things, 10CRIC also accepts INR and local bank transfers. Many sites cannot beat a welcome bonus of Rs 20,000.
There are many more betting sites available to Indian players, so the list here changes over time.
Cricket betting in India
Cricket is the most popular sport in India! And lots of people watch it. And a lot of Indians are also taking part in cricket betting online, which seems only natural given the level of popularity it has. Even though there are not as many cricket matches per day worldwide as there is for soccer or tennis, the volume of cricket bets is comparatively huge. And over 95% of the bets are being placed in-play. Which makes sense as cricket is a sport that lends itself well to live to bet. As cricket is such a large sport, almost all of the online betting sites should offer bets on the bigger events. Here are some of the top cricket betting sites.
- ComeOn: Great overall gambling site
- Betway: Biggest welcome offer
- 10CRIC: Allows only Indian players
- Bet365: World-renowned betting brand
- Dafabet: Open to exchange betting
Betting on IPL
There are plenty of cricket events to bet on year around:
- World Cup
- Test Championship
- T20 World Cup
- Global T20
However, the one event which cannot escape online cricket betting in India is the Indian Premier League or the IPL. The IPL is the most premier T20 tournament in India and probably in the world and hosts most all of the biggest cricket stars once a year to play it out to win the trophy. IPL betting is a massive event during the months it takes place, with millions upon millions of INR being wagered on every match.
bet365 in India
Bet365 is one of the most well-known online betting sites all around the world, and they have a great reputation among bettors and others in the industry. They can be trusted with both your money and personal information. In addition to being a bookmaker that is easy to deal with, they have plenty of other pros like:
- One of the first online cricket betting sites in Indian rupees.
- Very generous when it comes to giving out bonuses and other promotions to players that stay loyal and bet a lot.
- They offer free live streaming for a host of sporting events.
- Their cricket bet selection is very good and they routinely offer cricket bets on even smaller leagues
Other sports betting options
Although cricket is the biggest pastime for Indians, that does not mean it is the only available option for online bettors. Many other sports are going on at the same time and even if you are betting on cricket, you can place a bet on any of the other big sporting events at the same time. Here are a couple of other sports that are popular to bet on in India:
Football
Football is gaining a lot of popularity in India, and not just their local premier leagues like the Indian Super League, but also the English Premier League, Champions League, La Liga and other premier events. If you like football, you can praise yourself for being lucky that events are going on almost every day of the week, especially during spring when everything is coming to a close of the big leagues.
Kabaddi
If you are not from India, you are likely to have never heard of kabaddi. But this sport is gaining massive momentum and is potentially looking to challenge cricket as the top dog of sports in India. The main reason for kabaddi’s rise in popularity is the addition of the Pro Kabaddi League (KPL) in India. Here all the top kabaddi players in the world congregate to play. This tournament is not only popular in India, but also in neighbouring regions to India.
Horse racing
Horse racing has been around for ages in India, and so has betting on it. Originally you would place a bet at the track with the local bookmaker, but that has all changed recently. Now you can place your horse racing bets online – and you do not even need to be at the track! You can watch your favourite pony get the job done from home, while you get your betting on. Bet365 offers odds on daily races, live streaming of events and much more.
Betting apps
Since the mobile and internet usage in India has grown so massively over the years, so has the usage of apps. When data and processing power of your phone is limited, using an app instead of a website can potentially help the user-friendliness. In-play betting works more these days, especially for cricket. So when bettors are looking to bet, they would prefer to find an Indian betting app over visiting the betting sites web page directly if possible. Many of the operators understand that this is an issue facing Indian players, and they have started to create dedicated online betting apps for bettors that prefer using that.
LeoVegas on India
LeoVegas offers a top-notch mobile app. The website is very mobile-friendly, their betting apps are blazing fast and are sure to find a bet or casino game to your liking here.
LeoVegas highlights:
- Amazing betting apps for India
- Mobile-first focus (website and apps)
- Grand online casino
- Easy to use interface
LeoVegas recently moved to strike in the Indian betting market, and now offer deposits in Indian rupees.
Indian local betting sites
Long before online betting was even thought of, people needed to go to a bookmaker to be able to bet in India. Since it has never been legal in this country, that you were betting illegally. But with the online betting sites opening their doors to India, players now can enjoy betting legally and even doing that online. The local bookmakers were not going to let their lucrative business simply die out, so they have adapted. Now, most of your local bookmakers have moved to local betting sites instead. This means you can place your bets online easily. Some even handle payments on their website as well. But there are more things to consider than just these factors as if you want to bet with an offshore betting site or a local one. The various pros and cons of local betting sites are:
Pros
- Credit betting
- In-person assistance and support
Cons
- Illegal
- Sloppy online product
- Meet in-person for payments
- Only betting, no casino or other games
- No or slow in-play betting
Conclusion
Though betting with a local betting site in India has some benefits, the downside is also big. Sure, you may be able to bet on credit at some operators, and it might feel nice to have someone you can contact directly with any issues you might have when betting, but the fact that it is considered illegal to facilitate betting locally in India should make you at least think twice on this. Additionally, the websites and apps offered by local betting sites are usually really sloppy and badly designed, do not offer additional games, lack betting options like in-play betting and various props and many other faults that the larger offshore betting sites can offer you. Using an Indian local betting site is possible, but it is better to find a regulated online betting site that you like.
