Everyone knows that cricket is the most popular sport in India and with that comes the rise of cricket betting. Aside from sports, India also has a knack for gambling. This is why cricket and gambling go so well together that people of many ages are now participating in this activity.
Today, many sports betting sites are offering their services to Indians. Many would say that the best place to bet on cricket in India is 10CRIC because of how heavy its content is for cricket. Whatever cricket match it is that you want to wager on, 10CRIC most likely has some of the best odds you can find online.
Aside from 10CRIC, there are also other international sports betting sites that have cricket odds and allow transactions with the local currency like Betway, Bet365, Parimatch, Comeon!, 1xBet, Rajabets, 1win, and many more.
Why Online Cricket Betting?
An obvious reason why Indians seem to prefer betting online is convenience. Thanks to online bookies, they can place bets anytime and anywhere. They can even shop for the best cricket odds today without much of a hassle. Online sportsbooks simply made cricket betting more accessible than ever.
Aside from this, India’s online population is also growing. India has a population number of over 1.38 billion. Over half of the population are now online. Statista reported that as of 2020, India has over 749 million internet users and it’s also worth pointing out that 744 million of these people go online with a mobile device.
The rise of mobile usage has an impact on how many people can already go online in the country. Smartphones are becoming more affordable yet powerful. Many people just really prefer to invest in a mobile device instead of a computer nowadays. It is estimated that the number of online mobile users in the country would reach as high as 1.5 billion by 2040.
With that said, cricket betting will likely continue to blow up in India. MyBetting reported that in 2020, over 370 million Indians would place bets on major cricket events like the Indian Premier League, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and even The Ashes Series. Around 140 million would vote on cricket matches regularly including the numerous country tours held each year.
International bookies already see the big potential of the Indian cricket betting market that they had to offer tailor-fit services to Indian punters. This is why many of them allow transactions in Rupees. Aside from this, most of them also offer payment options that are popular in India like UPI, Paytm, PhonePe, Astropay, and many more.
According to the most popular betting sites in India, the most-wagered cricket event is the Indian Premier League. However, people also tend to bet on other sports too like horse racing, football, and field hockey.
Is Online Cricket Betting Legal?
On a national level, online betting isn’t illegal in India. However, it’s also neither legal. Online betting, in general, is still in the grey area because no law mentions anything about it. Gambling in India is regulated with the Public Gaming Act of 1867 and it was passed when the internet isn’t even a thing.
The Information Technology Act of 2000 is what helps regulate online activities in the country but this too doesn’t mention anything about online gambling. However, know that regulating cricket betting and other forms of gambling is a state matter.
Based on MyBetting’s report, sports betting is most popular in the states of Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Interestingly, these states are quite strict when it comes to regulating online gambling. This means that even if these states have imposed a ban on online gaming, many are still placing their bets anyway.
This is why some of these states are getting criticized for the lack of progressive laws. Whether these states will eventually regulate online betting operations is still hard to say. Tamil Nadu passed a law that prohibits online gaming in the state earlier last year. However, the Madras High Court ended up striking down the amendment before 2021 ended.
According to the court, what Tamil Nadu did was unconstitutional. This could mean that there is a chance that other states with ongoing online casino bans would experience the same thing. However, Tamil Nadu is still allowed to come up with a better amendment regarding online gaming. Based on recent reports, the state aims to do so this year. Whether it will be successful is something we still have to find out.
Still, cricket betting online continues to grow. Because this is not illegal on a national level, offshore casinos and bookies are still allowed to take cricket bets from Indians.