Online Betting India: a Complete Guide 📝

How to Bet Online in India 🃏

Analysts suggest that more than INR 3 billion is bet on sports in India every year. It’s not surprising considering there are more than 400 million people that watch sports in the country every year.

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Cricket is India’s sport of choice, with the first match reportedly played over 300 years ago. And since then, Indian sports fans have had a love affair with the sport. But there are plenty of other sports to bet on, too.

Betting online in India gives you access to a big variety of bets, with many punters preferring to bet on single games with favourable odds. But big-time gamblers like to place several bets at once, with the hopes of a big payout. The best online betting sites in India allow you to do this and more.

The convenience of online betting is that pretty much anyone can do it. Sites are designed to welcome both new and experienced punters. Most have comprehensive tutorials that can help you learn how to bet online.

Not only that, but online betting sites in India have some great promotional offers for new and regular bettors.

At casinobonusnet, we recommend only top licensed and regulated sportsbooks. We can’t stress enough how important it is that a betting site is regulated and properly licensed before you create an account with them. An unregulated site with no license isn’t bound to any laws, so it’s not going to care about its customers, leaving you high and dry.

So, if you’re looking for the best online betting sites, look no further. We’ve put together everything you need to know about above-board sites that won’t steal your Rupees.

Is Betting In India legal? 🤔

Online betting in India is a complicated topic. What you do need to know is that it is not illegal to gamble online provided you do so at offshore betting sites.

In other words, online gambling is a grey area. While no laws deem it an illegal activity, you can safely and legally gamble online using foreign bookmakers and casinos.

Bet on Different Sports

When it comes to sports betting online in India, some sports stand out amongst all the others. Here are just some of the favourites with Indian punters.

🏏 Online cricket betting – cricket is a popular sport for Indian betting fans. Matches are played throughout the year, from test cricket to the smaller domestic league and the coveted Indian Premier League, there’s always something to punt on.

🏃 Online kabaddi betting – Kabaddi has got to be one of the fastest growing sports in India. The rise of the Pro-Kabaddi League in the last few years has given traditional sport mainstream success, especially with online bettors. Popular tournaments to follow include the Super Kabaddi League and the Kabaddi World Cup.

⚽ Online football betting – football also has a big online betting following in India. European tournaments like the English Premier League and the Champions League garner a lot of betting interest, but there’s also the I-League and the Indian Super League, two of the biggest football leagues in the country.

🏀 Online basketball betting – basketball is another fast-growing betting market amongst Indian gamblers. The first National Basketball Association (NBA) game of 2019 was played in Mumbai. There’s big investment in basketball planned for the future, so it’s no wonder Indian gamblers are flocking to betting sites for a punt on the next basketball game.

🏇 Online horse racing betting – Indian punters love to gamble on horses, but you don’t need to head off to the racetrack to take part in the fun. Thanks to betting sites that now accept Indian bettors, fans can bet on the biggest horse races on the planet, like those brought to us by the British Horseracing Authority.

🏑 Online field hockey betting – just like cricket and football, hockey also has a growing league. The Hockey India League is held between January and February each year and consists of six teams. The Hockey World Cup 2024 isn’t far off, too.

The Most Important Things in a Betting Site ✍️

The casinobonusnet team only recommends licensed and regulated sports betting sites that have a positive reputation. But that’s just one part of our review process. Our team analyse and test different aspects of online betting sites before we recommend them. Here’s what we look for:

✅ Trustworthiness and Reliability

One of the most important questions in India is if a betting site is trustworthy and reliable. Almost every punter – new or experienced – should have this question before signing up. Our team checks for trustworthiness and reliability in every online casino and sportsbook we review, especially when it comes to settlements of bets and withdrawals. We also check out the availability of the customer service team and the nature of the service.

✅ Competitive Odds and Betting Markets

This is where the best bits come in – winnings and profits. The core of a decent online betting experience is a wide range of betting markets along with the best odds.

Considering how popular cricket betting is, we carefully analyse both the pre-match and in-play betting markets for all the top cricket events. A decent variety of markets allows you to place bets on outcomes of different events.

So, you can use your understanding of a game, player’s form, team’s stats and other information during the in-play betting in markets like Boundary in the Next Over, Next Batsman to be Dismissed and Runs in the Next Order.

✅ Deposit and Withdrawal Options

For many bettors, this is a make-or-break factor when deciding if you want to open an account with a particular online betting site or not. We know how important easy betting is, and that involves fast, safe and reliable payment methods.

We’ve noticed more and more Indian online betting sites moving towards local payment methods, like Netbanking and UPI, MuchBetter and debit and credit cards.

We make sure the sites that make our top list support popular Indian payment methods, and Rupees. We also check out the minimum and maximum deposit and withdrawal amounts for the different banking methods and mention them in our reviews.

✅ Safety and Security

Safety and security are a top priority when it comes to placing bets online. We don’t just test a site for safety and security, we also analyse the experience of other users when conducting our reviews. We check for things like any issues with deposits, returns on winning bets, the release of funds and other account-related issues.

Most importantly, we make sure a site is transparent with its rules, terms and conditions and that they’re willing to help punters settle any type of dispute with sincerity and speed.

We know how important safety and security is for you, which is why we make it our number one priority alongside an online betting site’s trustworthiness and reputation during our review process.

✅ The Registration Process at Online Betting Sites in India

In today’s fast-paced world, sportsbooks compete to make their registration process and quick and easy as they can for Indian customers. During our reviews, we look for intuitiveness during the sign-up process at betting sites. After all, it’s especially important for people who are new to the world of online betting.

Reading reams of information on the registration page that explain the signup steps can be confusing, leaving you with more questions and concerns than answers. We love finding a registration process that has as few steps as possible and takes just a minute or two.

✅ The User Experience

All review criteria aside, user experience plays an important role when it comes to the long-term use of a site. Punters who are loyal to a particular site suggest that betting odds, payment methods and the overall user experience are the reasons for their loyalty.

For new sports bettors, user experience is a big factor as they want to kick off their betting experience as effortlessly as possible. In our reviews, we make sure that betting sites in India are intuitive and easy to navigate when it comes to the various sports events, the betting markets, bet history and checking your account balance.

How to Select a Betting Site 🧐

When it comes to online betting in India, you must bet on a platform that’s safe, secure and reliable. All the bookmakers that make it onto our top list have a range of security measures in place, and they are licensed and regulated by renowned authorities. That means they are reliable, too.

As a result, you can rest assured that registering at these sites won’t put you at risk of fraud or any other disadvantages.

With more and more online betting sites looking to tap into the Indian market, finding the best site can be daunting.

But not all sites available to Indian bettors provide the range of markets, usability and security required. Upon carrying out our reviews, there are several factors we take into consideration, and they all add up to create an overall score.

Besides the factors we have already mentioned, here’s what else helps us decide whether or not to select a betting site.

Markets – the best online betting sites offer a variety of sports markets, from the most popular events from soccer to cricket, to more modern events like UFC and esports. By doing this, these bookmakers cater for a range of punters, ensuring they have options when it comes to placing bets.

Odds – the best sportsbooks also offer competitive odds across their range of sports, as this inevitably affects how much you earn from placing successful bets. What’s more, some operators choose to specialise in a particular area, so prices can differ between markets.

Live betting – in-play or live betting has become a highly popular form of wagering on sports, with its potential rewards and huge excitement meaning that sportsbooks place a big emphasis on this area of their sites.

Promotions – welcome bonuses and other offers help you to maximise your winnings and alleviate losses, making these offers appealing. The top online betting sites in India offer a generous welcome bonus along with revolving promotions for existing punters, like accumulator insurance and price boosts.

Loyalty and VIP programmes – loyal punters are rewarded for their continued betting on a platform, with bookmakers setting up loyalty and VIP programmes where you can look forward to free bets, enhanced winnings and price boosts, along with other rewards and exclusive promotions.

Mobile betting – whether it’s a dedicated app or a mobile-optimised website, most Indian sports betting sites make it easier than ever to place your bets on the go. You no longer need access to your desktop to back your favourite players and teams.

The design – sportsbooks should be simple to use without an overload of information. They should allow quick access to features and markets on the platform, while also making sure that bets can be placed in seconds.

Other features – the top Indian online betting sites provide a variety of extra features, like live streaming and in-play betting. All of these extras add to your user experience, and we like to see bookmakers who continue to improve their site and add more features to keep up with the competition.

Indian Online Betting Sites That Accept Rupees 🇮🇳

Being able to bet online in your local currency makes for an even more enjoyable and effortless experience. Although most online betting sites are not physically based in India, they do accept Indian Rupees.

When you sign up at an online bookmaker that accepts your currency, you don’t need to worry about hefty currency conversion fees. On the other hand, you will need to use a payment method that supports INR transactions. The sites that make it on our top list do accept deposits and bets in Rupees.

To get started at one of these betting sites, follow these steps:

1.   Choose an online betting site from our list of recommended bookmakers.
2.   Register an account and verify it. Make sure you have a valid email address and a copy of your identity card ready. You’ll also need to provide personal details such as your physical address, name and date of birth.
3.   Log into your new account and head over to the cashier.
4.   Choose your preferred payment method. Sometimes it can be challenging depositing money to betting sites from India. Visa and MasterCard payments, for example, don’t always work. Rather opt to make your deposits with e-wallets (like Skrill and Neteller), mobile payment options (like Apple Pay and Google Pay) or local payment methods if they are accepted.

Betting On The Go With Apps 📱

As mobile usage in India has grown exponentially over the years, so has the use of apps. When processing power and data on your mobile device may be limited, using betting apps rather than online betting websites can potentially enhance your on-the-go betting experience.

Apps allow you to bet on your favourite sports and events anywhere and anytime, just as long as you have a safe and reliable internet connection.

One of the best things about having your favourite sportsbook on your phone is that you can participate in in-play betting, especially when it comes to cricket. We always check out a betting site’s mobile compatibility to make sure you don’t have to miss out on any of the action.

Payment Methods for Indian Bettors 💳

We mentioned that payment methods can be a little tricky for Indian bettors, but not if you choose an online betting site from our top list.

Some Indian bank providers do block residents from depositing at online casinos and sportsbooks. But this doesn’t mean you can’t fund your betting account; it just means you need the right deposit option.

If your MasterCard or Visa card does allow you to make deposits at betting sites, that’s great. Then you just need to visit the virtual cashier and punch in the card details along with how much you want to deposit. Easy!

But what if your card doesn’t work? There are options like opening e-wallet accounts like Skrill, Entropay or Neteller.

➡️ E-wallets

With an e-wallet, you use the wallet as an intermediary between you and the betting site. All you do is link your card up to your e-wallet account and make a transfer. Transfers from card to ewallet are instant, and then transfers from web wallet to bookmaker can take just a few minutes.

But you don’t need a card to fund your e-wallet. You can use other methods like bank transfers. Depending on the particular bank’s affiliation with your chosen e-wallet, it can take a few days for a bank transfer to reflect in your web wallet.

➡️ UPI

We can’t leave out the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). UPI is backed by the Indian government and is a real-time payment system that’s soared in popularity. Developed by the Indian National Payments Corporation, UPI lets you make digital transactions using your bank account.

To use UPI, you need to download the Bharat Interface for Money app or use the web browser. Setting up your UPI account is quick as you just need to create a Virtual Payment Address.

Withdrawing your winnings with UPI is straightforward, too. You need your UPI PIN and you can withdraw anywhere from INR 10,000 up to INR 100,000 depending on your bank.

➡️ Paytm

Paytm is an Indian-created and owned e-commerce payment system that is available at many of the online betting sites that we recommend. This means you can make deposits ahead of your favourite sporting events. There are two choices: you can use Paytm as an e-wallet or as a UPI.

This is an incredibly fast payment method for both deposits and withdrawals, and there are no fees involved when banking on betting sites.

To verify your Paytm account, you just need your Aadhaar number, or you can send through the necessary documents to prove your identity and address.

➡️ Cryptocurrency

Since the government has lifted the ban on trading cryptocurrencies, it’s quickly become a favoured method of payment at online betting sites. It’s easy to understand. Using crypto to fund your account is the best way to protect your identity, as it’s mostly anonymous.

Bettors who prefer to use cryptocurrencies at online betting sportsbooks benefit from low fees, instant deposits and extremely high security measures.

➡️ Google Pay

If you already have a Google account, this might just be your new favourite payment method at online betting sites. It’s a free digital payment service that allows Indian bettors to make safe and fast payments. GPay users can enjoy instant deposits and exclusive bonuses.

While not all betting sites in India accept Google Pay just yet, we are seeing more sites adding it to their list. The only drawback is that it doesn’t support withdrawals from Indian online betting websites.

Claim a Sports Betting Bonus 🏆

The best Indian betting sites are ones that offer generous promotions for new and existing punters alike. Before you start betting with real money, check out which sport betting bonuses are on offer to help extend your betting fun and your budget.

Some of the most common sport betting bonus offers for Indians include:

• Sign-up bonus – also called a welcome bonus, this one is designed for new players that register and make a deposit at a betting site. It usually includes a free bet to get you started, but there will be terms and conditions attached.
• Free bets – sportsbooks reward punters with a free bet either as a welcome offer or for a certain event or tournament. Different sites have different terms and conditions, so you’ll need to read those carefully before you commit to the offer.
• Cashback – these promotions are insurance when you make high odds or risky bets. For instance, it could be insurance when one leg of an accumulator doesn’t go your way. The whole idea is to help reduce the impact of loss.
• Loyalty clubs – a good online betting site always has some sort of loyalty programme that rewards you for playing at the site. Rewards may include bonuses and free bets.

To claim a sports betting bonus, simply log into a sportsbook, make a deposit and claim an offer. Always read a bonus’s terms and conditions, along with the wagering requirements, before you commit to an offer, though. You want to be able to meet the requirements and withdraw any winnings if luck is on your side.