What Sports Can You Bet on in India?
The online gambling craze has reached India just like the rest of the world. A huge portion of the population is active in online gambling, and it’s gradually becoming a major entertainment source for the residents.
If you’re planning on starting soon, you’re in luck. Mr Tim Harrison from BetZillion is present among us today to help us navigate the rough waters in India. He’s going to give you the list of the best Indian bookies as well as which sports are best for betting in the country.
Tim Harrison Answers Masstamilan.com: Is Online Betting Legal in India?
It is something almost all Indian punters are worried about. They might be already participating in the activity, but they’re in distress about legal trouble down the line. We asked the expert Tim Harrison whether online gambling is legal in India or not. What he said in return is quite fascinating.
All the gambling in this huge country along the Indian ocean is regulated based on the Public Gambling Act of 1867. It is a set of laws popularized during the British colonization era! The government is yet to modernize the rules for the residents.
It is a blessing and a curse at the same time. It’s a curse because the online gambling culture in the country could’ve been phenomenal if it had been properly regulated. Especially when you consider all the interested people, it’s easy to assume that the government could secure a massive stream of revenue.
However, the paradigm could also go in the wrong direction. The government could’ve banned online gambling, and your options now would become non-existent. That’s the blessing part of India being an unregulated territory.
That’s exactly what India is, according to Tim. Unregulated. It means the government doesn’t even have any laws in the first place to control online gambling. So, the debate on whether it’s legal or not doesn’t have a solid base.
According to industry insights, millions of people in India are involved with online gambling. The industry is valued at INR 76 million, which is not an amount you can ignore for very long.
Tim Harrison on the Best Sports for Betting
Once, we were assured there is no risk for online betting in India. We asked Tim about options. It’s good news that almost all major online bookmakers now accept players from India. The sports options are dynamic because they also have an international customer base. You can bet money on US politics sitting on your couch in Mumbai, per se. Isn’t that awesome?
Look at this video to discover new facts – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=133zdKAoVv4.
But for this section of the piece, Tim promises to stick to sports that are predominantly popular in the country.
Cricket
Cricket is the biggest name when it comes to sports in India. It proved its excellence to the world of fans back in 1983 when it first won the ICC World Cup trophy! The Indian national cricket team is one of the best teams in the world right now.
And if you follow cricket, there’s no way you don’t know about IPL! It’s the biggest showdown of domestic league cricket in the world. On top of everything, the national team plays series matches with top countries throughout the year.
All of these go to show how popular cricket is in India. And if a sport is popular, it’s only normal that betting on it will be popular too. Hence, cricket betting is the country’s most popular form of sports betting.
But it doesn’t mean that Indian punters only stick to cricket bets involving the national team all the time. Rather, they’re fans of global cricket and welcome all kinds of tournaments with open arms.
Field Hockey
Field hockey has a massive presence in India and many people actually confuse it as the national sport of India. It might be unexpected for many of you, but it’s true. Field hockey is similar to Ice Hockey, but it’s played on grass turf.
The Indian hockey team happens to be one of the best in the world. Did you know that the Indian team is the most successful Olympic team in the world, with over 8 gold medals? The Hockey India League (HIL) is one of the largest domestic tournaments in the world of hockey.
The reason we’re sugarcoating field hockey so much is simply that you can bet on it as well! All major online betting sites that accept bettors from India usually offer hockey. It’ll depend on what time of the year it is to determine whether you get markets for hockey or not.
Badminton
Badminton may look like a harmless little sport on paper, but it’s very well respected globally. Plenty of betting sites offer betting markets on Badminton:
- Betway,
- LeoVegas,
- Unibet,
- Bet365,
- etc,
In India, you can find plenty of local tournaments that happen throughout the year. Especially in winter, the tournaments go crazy! The Thomas Cup, the Uber Cup, the Sudirman Cup, the BWF Championships, etc. are all high-voltage Badminton tournaments that you can bet on right now!
Boxing
One of the sports that often gets overlooked by new punters. Boxing betting can be one of the most enjoyable activities if you enjoy adrenaline-packed fighting. Boxing matches that you can bet on are mainly on the international level.
Also, you have to choose between 2 boxers instead of 2 teams. It means the markets for boxing betting are quite different from other sports.
Some popular markets in this regard are:
- match winner,
- method of victory,
- number of sustained rounds,
- and a few others.
Tim Harrison’s Guide on Masstamilan.com: How to Bet in India
Everything we’ve learned so far is good and all. But how do you get started with online betting in India? It is one of the most common questions Tim Harrison receives no matter what country he’s discussing.
Here are the elements you need to remember when signing up for real money betting in the country.
- Legal Age: The global minimum age for gambling is 18. It’s true for India, according to the 1867 Public Gambling Act. You must also prove your identity and age through the KYC process before withdrawing real money from your account.
- License: A betting site without a license is similar to a prison without a warden. The comparison might seem exaggerated, but the vibe is the same. If there is no authority looking over the operations, it gives shady operators a chance to scam players. It would help if you always played at licensed online betting sites in India. You can find the information in the footer section of the website.
- Payment Method: Most betting sites that accept players from India now obtain local payment methods. These methods include UPI, Paytm, Cashfree, Instamojo, Razorpay, etc. You should also be able to use global methods like credit cards, debit cards, and E-wallets like PayPal.