Online Betting in India

The online betting market in India can be a little complicated for new bettors who are trying to figure out whether sports betting in India is legal. This is because different states have different policies and there is a lot of confusion when it comes to the best online betting sites in India.

Our team at BettingGuru have done the research and made it simple for our readers to find the best online betting sites in India. Keep reading to learn more about betting legislation in India, which are the top betting sites for Indian players and how you can improve your odds of winning.

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Best Online Betting Sites in India 2024

Get The Most Out Of Online Betting With BettingGuru

The sports betting market in India is growing at a rapid pace as both domestic and international operators are launching operations to cover the massive betting market in the country. If you carry out a Google search, looking for the best sports betting site in India you will find a long list of betting sites in India you can choose from.

However, keep in mind that the betting sites showing up at the top of your Google search may not always be the best online betting sites in India or the right betting site for you. It will take you a lot of time to review, research and make a decision on which betting site is most suitable for your style of wagering.

This is where BettingGuru comes in and makes a huge difference. Our team of experienced researchers have spent hundreds of hours, going through a long list of betting sites that accept Indian players. We have used strict criteria to measure, review and shortlist the best betting sites that you can bet on.

We only recommend online betting sites in India that are licensed from a reputed Gaming Commission, who have great welcome bonus offers, display a wide variety of online games and sports betting options for our readers to choose from, have multiple banking options that are available in India and access to good customer service. The online betting sites in India we have shortlisted have easy to user interfaces, strong SSL encryption services and have good customer reviews.

So if you are looking for a good sportsbook to register and start betting, then choose from our list of recommended online sportsbooks as they have passed our rigorous tests and have proven to be safe, reliable and secure.

Easy Explanation of How Online Betting Works

Millions of Indians love to bet but have not been able to do so for a long time because they have not had an opportunity to do so. Most Indians like to play online betting games but do not understand how online betting works.

The first thing we need to point out is that online betting is a very simple process. So don’t get overwhelmed when you see terms like betting odds, wagering limits and prop bets. We will take you through the key terms used in online betting and help you quickly gain a conceptual understanding of how online betting sites in India works and how you can quickly place your bets on your favourite sports.

Creating An Online Betting Account

After you have reviewed our list of recommended sports online betting sites in India, pick the sportsbooks that you like, sign-up for an account and then go ahead and start betting.

The account creation process is very simple and should not take more than 5 minutes, depending on the speed of your internet connection.

  • Click sign up for a new account
  • Enter your personal information
  • Once you have filled all the fields, click the finish button.
  • A confirmation email will be sent. Go ahead and click on the link.
  • Login to your sports betting account.

Once you have logged into your sports betting account, you can then take a few minutes to browse the sportsbook and get familiarized with the site layout. Check the list of featured sports to see if the sports you like are available to wager on.

Betting Odds Explained

The most important concept that you will have to understand in sports betting is how betting odds work. We will give you an example to make it easy for you to understand and you can then take the same principle and apply it to all other betting odds.

If you are going to bet on a cricket match between India and Zimbabwe and the sportsbook have India as the favourites with odds of 1/10 – it means that if you put 100 rupees on India and they win, you will get back 10 rupees i.e. 110 rupees (100 rupees that you bet plus 10 rupees that you won.)

Alternatively, if Zimbabwe has odds of 10/1 against India being the underdogs and you decide to back Zimbabwe, you can win a lot more if Zimbabwe pulls off an upset win. So if you place 100 rupees on Zimbabwe and they win, you will get 100 rupees x 10 = 1000 rupees. So the total you will collect in this case would be 1,100 rupees (100 rupees that you bet plus 1000 rupees that you won.)

Do keep in mind that while the odds to bet on Zimbabwe is attractive and pays out a lot more, the reason why Zimbabwe has such high odds is because the bookmakers think they have a very slim chance of winning.

Betting Tip: Take Advantage Of Free Bets

Most of the top online sports betting sites servicing the Indian market have special welcome bonus offers to encourage new players to sign-up. One of the most popular welcome bonus offers is the free bets no deposit bonus or what one can term as online betting without deposit.

What are Free Bets?

Free bets are very attractive because players don’t have to deposit any real money out of their own pocket. The online sportsbooks gives out bonus money to encourage players to try out their betting services with no risk to them.

How To Claim Free Bets?

Once you sign-up for an account, enter the ‘bonus code’ if there is one at the cashier section and the free bet money will be credited to your account. Some sportsbooks, or online batting sites, do not require any bonus code as they will automatically credit your account with the free money. If for some reason the free money bonus is not credited, to get in touch with customer support.

How To Leverage Free Bets?

The best way to leverage free bets is to understand how they work and then use them to their advantage. Always take the time to read the terms and conditions that govern these free bets and pay special attention to the wagering requirements and max cashout stipulation.

Most sportsbooks allow you to use these free bets on all of their online betting options but some online casinos restrict these free bets to only specific sports or specific games. The free money will show in your account, which will help you always be aware of how much free money you have to play with/ have left.

Select the game that you would like to wager on, take note of the odds and decide which team or player you are going to back. Select the betting odds and enter the amount you wish to wager from your free money and then click finish. You will get a notification that your bet has been placed successfully and your free money bonus money will be deducted accordingly.

What Are The Different Types Of Betting Bonuses?

Just about every online sportsbooks offers new players an online betting welcome bonus or an online betting joining bonus. You can find the best online betting promotions by going through the list of recommended sportsbooks at BettingGuru where we compare the different online betting offers.

Besides welcome bonuses, betting operators tend to offer a variety of betting bonuses to attract new players and incentivize existing players to bet more often. Here are some of the most common betting bonuses you will find:

  • No Deposit Bonus: This is where the betting operator gives away free cash or free spins in return for signing up. Players will not have to make a deposit out of their own pocket.
  • First Deposit Bonus: There is where the betting operator decided to match your first deposit bonus. So if you decide to deposit 500 rupees as your first deposit, the betting operator will deposit another 500 rupees to match your first deposit bonus.
  • Match Deposit Bonus: A match deposit bonus is where the betting operator is willing to match a player’s first deposit by a certain percentage. So if there is a 100 percent match deposit bonus offer available and you deposit 100, you will find an additional 100 added to your betting balance. Some of these match deposit bonus offers might be applicable to your first three or even first five deposits.

Top Sports To Bet On

Indian bettors can check out the list of sports they can bet on even before they sign-up at a online betting site. Most of the top sportsbooks tend to cover a wide variety of Indian sports as well as international sports.

Top sportsbooks will cover sports betting like boxing, basketball, cricket, golf, hockey, horse racing F1 racing, Mixed Martial Arts, Kabbadi, football and tennis. The most popular sport in India by far is cricket and every sportsbook that targets the Indian market tends to have a wide variety of online betting options on both domestic and international cricket matches.

Before online sportsbooks could launch operations in India, it was very difficult for the average Indian to place a bet on their favourite sports. Today, it can be done within a matter of minutes and places can wager from the comfort of their own homes. Indian players will enjoy betting on some of these sports.

Cricket

Cricket lovers will have a wide variety of options to bet on as Indian facing sportsbooks cover ODI cricket, T20 cricket, Test Cricket as well as domestic competitions like the:

  • Indian Premier League (IPL)
  • Ranji Trophy and even state sponsored T20 leagues like the
  • Karnataka Premier League (KPL) and
  • Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).

Kabbadi

Even though Kabbadi is not a mainstream sport, it has a wide fan following throughout India. Kabbadi has gained more popularity in recent times as the VIVO Pro Kabbadi league gets televised throughout India and sports betting sites also cover all games.

Football

Football is very popular with people in North India and East India and is slowly gaining more fans in South India. Most fans like following the English Premier League and Italy’s Serie A now that Cristiano Ronaldo is playing for Juventus. Sportsbooks tend to cover all of these top domestic leagues and also international games including the FIFA World Cup.

Basketball

India has a growing basketball fan base who are hardcore lovers of the National Basketball League (NBA). Most Indian fans tend to support popular teams like the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. Sportsbooks given them multiple options to wager on the favourite NBA games.

Bet On The Most Popular Sports In India

Online betting is growing at a fast pace in India and bettors throughout the country have access to bet on a long list of sports. As a result, Indian fans are now tuning into a lot of televised sports as well as keeping tab of their teams and results on the internet.

This real time information helps them place bets in a matter of minutes via an online sportsbook or using a betting app while on the move. If you are interested in making your first sports bet, do check out our list of featured sports betting operators that cover the Indian market. You will find the best sports betting sites in Inida on our featured list and you can be confident that you will find the best bonus offers, reliable payment methods and a great selection of sports to bet on.

Banking Options For Indian Players

The top online betting sites that are featured on our list of recommended sites offer Indian players a number of banking methods that is widely used throughout the country, making it easy for them to process their deposits and withdrawals quickly.

What Are The Different Banking Options In India?

Players can choose from a list of deposit options available which usually include the likes of MasterCard, Visa, Net Banking, PayPal, Skrill and Neteller. There are a few sportsbooks that offer cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

How do deposits work?

A deposit is when a player transfers a specified amount of their own money into their registered account with the online sportsbook. Online sportsbooks clearly display what deposit options are available. So before you sign-up for an account, first check if your preferred deposit method is available.

How do Withdrawals work?

When a player wins a bet, they will immediately get their win money transferred into their sports betting account. A player, who would like to withdraw this money into their own account, can request a withdrawal and choose a banking option that is suitable for them. Withdrawals tend to take between 2 to 5 days depending on the banking option you choose and the sportsbook you sign-up with.

The Best Way To Choose A Payment Method

You first need to check up on the different payment methods or banking options on offer and then see which one you would like to use!

Some of the things you need to consider before selecting your preferred banking option include: are there any charges involved, how long does it take to process deposits and withdrawals; is it easy to use and is it the safest option available.

Mobile Sports Betting In India

The major demography of sports betting users in India are between 20 and 40 years. They spend a lot of time on their smartphones and are eager to place their bets via online betting apps or mobile betting browsers. The ability to use online betting apps in India allow bettors to place their bets instantaneously and also take advantage of sportsbooks who allow in-play betting.

The top betting operators in the world tend to have their own dedicated mobile betting apps that can be downloaded from both the Android and Apple stores. These betting apps are free to download, easy to install and allows bettors the ability to place their online bets in seconds.

How Can I Set Up Mobile Betting?

Mobile betting apps will give you full access to the online sportsbook. Players will be able to sign-up for a new account via the mobile betting app, select a banking option, make deposits and withdrawals from the betting app and place bets on their favourite sports.

These mobile betting apps are safe and secure to use. Just make sure you download the right betting app as there are a few fake betting apps in the market that look very familiar to the original.

The process of placing a bet via a mobile app is very similar to placing a bet via the online sportsbook. Our team of experts believe it is a lot easier to place a bet at a mobile sportsbooks as these mobile apps have been designed for convenience and ease of use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the best online betting site in India?

The best online betting site in India is the one that works best for you. We can throw out names but those online betting sites may not necessarily meet your requirements. We suggest that you go through our list of recommended online betting sites, compare the different features and benefits on offer and then decide which one suits you best.

If you are a serious sports bettor, we think it might be better to sign-up at two sports betting sites, so you can make a comparison of the different bonuses, betting odds, banking options, customer support and ease of use. You will then be in a better position to decide which is the best online betting site in India for you!

How Can I Increase My Odds Of Winning Online?

If you are serious about increasing your odds of winning, then you need to spend time studying and reading about the sport/games you would like to bet on. Don’t just look at the betting odds and decide which team or player you want to back.

The way you improve your betting online is by keeping tab of what is going on. So if you like to bet on cricket, then you need to read daily news and breaking news on all cricket. Spend some time look at stats to know the record of each team, which players are injured, what are the pitch conditions, who will be part of the playing XI. This up-to-date information will help you make an informed decision and not just rely on the odd makers.

Is Online Betting Legal In India?

For an elaborate answer you can see our section above. To summarize, the answer would be yes and no. Online betting has not been legalized throughout India but a few states permit legalized online betting and a number of other states are currently looking to legalize online betting.

However, the laws do not specifically prohibit offshore betting operators from offering betting services in India. Therefore you can sign-up at all of the recommended betting sites in our featured list and place your bets from India. You will also have no problem receiving your winnings and transferring it to your Indian bank account.

What Are The Different Types Of Bet Available In Cricket?

The most popular bet in cricket is the outright winner. This decides which team will win the game whether it is test cricket, ODI cricket or T20 cricket. Apart from this, you will have other bets such as which team wins the toss first, which team will bat first, which team will bowl first, who will win the man of the match award, which batsmen will score the most runs and which bowler will take the most amount of wickets.

Some sportsbooks will also offer prop bets or side bets which give bettors higher odds but the chances of them getting it right significantly decreases. Some of these prop bets include which fielder takes the most number of catches, which fielder gets the most number of run-outs, which bowler concedes the most number of wides or no=balls and which batsman hits the most number of fours and sixes.

Do you have any key tips to help me with my sports betting?

The first thing you need to do is make a decision that you will not bet when emotional. A lot of bettors get it wrong because they get carried away in the moment. Some bettors win and decide to go all in and then lose all their money. Some bettors lose and decide that they immediately want to recoup their losses, so they blow their bankroll away. Don’t bet when you are emotional – take a break and come back the next day if required.

Manage your bankroll well. You can do this by making a decision as to how much you are willing to bet each day/week and month. Do not go over this stipulated amount.

Finally – take full advantage of free bets and welcome bonus offers.

How do I prevent myself from getting addicted to betting?

We suggest that you follow all of the above tips as this will help you bring balance to your sports betting. If you are not able to manage your bankroll properly, keep your emotions in check before placing your bets or start borrowing money to fund your betting activities, you should immediately seek help.

One way to do this is to speak to your family and get the help you need. A number of online betting operators also have responsible gambling measures that will enable you to set limits on your betting and control your betting activities.

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Avatar for Andreas Holmsten
Andreas Holmsten
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