India boasts one of the most passionate sports followings in the world. Cricket is first and foremost across the country due to the popularity and excellence of the national team and the Indian Premier League. No sport can touch cricket in the hearts and minds of Indian sports fans.
There are 1 billion people in India, and if you were to poll the entire country, cricket would most certainly be voted as the most popular sport. Captain Virat Kohli is a national hero for his exploits on the field, and fans are playing in clubs across the country and in the streets that aspire to be the next Kohli. Whereas in England, Spain or Brazil you may see people kicking around a football in the street, in India boys and girls find a cricket bat and ball to play their favourite game.
The IPL is created new stars all the time such as Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. Cricket is part of the Indian culture, and it will take something seismic to change that.
Football’s Struggles
However, football is developing a strong following, notably the Premier League due to the increased coverage of England’s top flight on television across the globe. Greater access to the game on television is increasing the popularity of the world’s most popular sport. Superstars such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have done wonders to inspire the next generation of talent.
The standard of Indian football is lacking in the quality of their European counterparts. Although there is a growth in people watching the game on television, playing the game and spectating in person does not have the same appeal. The Indian Super League was created in 2013 in an attempt to stir interest in the sport, and there have been a few recognisable names such as Nicolas Anelka and Diego Forlan to have graced the league. But it has lacked the punch and entertainment to make further inroads into cricket’s dominance of the sporting market.
The Indian public is passionate about sports, and betting on events around the world is harnessing this enthusiasm to great effect. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 made it illegal to own or bet in a gambling house in India, and you don’t need to follow the news to know that those regulations remain in place to this day.
Therefore, you can place a wager on a sport in person with the borders of the country. However, there are no such regulations regarding online betting, which provides a loophole for bettors seeking to lodge wagers on sports. We’ll now break down all you need to know about betting on sports online in easy-to-follow steps.
Finding The Right Betting Site
Before you place a wager, you must find the right betting site. Fortunately, there are several quality options for online betting in India, that are legal, licensed by a gambling authority, and provide security for their customers. When you’re looking for a betting site to choose from, you will want one that provides you with a diverse range of sports to cover all the bases.
You will then want a comprehensive list of markets that can satisfy all of your gambling needs – don’t just be satisfied with the basics as there are a lot of quirky bets to be made that can be fruitful in the right setting. If you want to bet on a cricket player to get out for 99, there will be a market for that if you choose the right operators.
The top sites in the industry will offer competitive odds that are in line with the rest of the market, ensuring that you will not be short-changed. These sites will also provide betting bonuses. If you shop around, you can look at the ones that will suit your requirements and base your selection on the quality of their offers.
Research
It’s important to know what you’re wagering on in terms of the markets available for the sport itself. You might know everything there is to know about cricket, and that’s great. However, you need to know how your knowledge matches up with the markets on offer.
For example, if you know that Kohli always scores over fifty against Rajasthan Royals while playing in the IPL, you will look for markets specific to Kohli and the IPL. These can include outright bets and over/unders. Familiarising yourself with the types of bets that are present in the market and matching that with your knowledge is key to success.
If you have no background knowledge of the sport you plan to wager on then you must develop a solid understanding. You do not want to be throwing your money away on a shot in the dark. There are excellent websites available online that go into great detail about cricket and football statistics, which should be consulted even by people that would consider themselves experts.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Betting sites will require you to enter a deposit when you sign up for their service. It can be a tricky proposition if you do not have a bank account or a debit/credit card. If you do have a bank account you can simply use your card or a bank transfer to deposit funds.
However, you can also use electronic wallets such as PayPal to deposit money into your account, although there will be limits on the number of funds you can place in at one time. PaySafeCards are another secure manner of deposit, but, once again, these have limitations based on the amount you can place into your account. Although you will be keen to bet as soon as deploying your funds, it can take time for these to clear with the betting site depending on your chosen transaction method. These rules are also applicable when withdrawing funds from your account.
Enjoy Responsibly
You may consider getting further involved with the community, and some will do this with betting. Getting down the key facts about betting online, the next step for you is to enjoy the experience. One final piece of advice is to gamble responsibly and only place wagers with funds that you are comfortable losing should your bet fail. There are no guarantees in gambling and even the surest of bets can fail to come in. Remember to bear that in mind before placing your stake.
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