Background
The history of cricket dates back around 500 years. The rise of the British Empire exported the game to different corners of the world, allowing it to become one of the most popular sports in modern times.
Betting on cricket can be very lucrative, especially if you stay up to date with player statistics. You can bet on cricket throughout the year, as there are various international cricket matches and test series.
Betting on Cricket: Types of Bets You Can Make
Cricket betting used to be limited to the winner of a match, but the scope has expanded with the advent of online cricket betting, to include a variety of other wagering options. We provide a brief explanation of the most common types of cricket betting options.
Cricket Match Bets
This bet is about predicting who will win the matchup. Newbie bettors may prefer this easy option. Note that the bet may be void if the cricket match ends in a tie.
Tied Match
Cricket bettors can place bets on whether cricket matches will end in a draw. This wager is available for test cricket games as these are the types of cricket matches that most often end tied.
Series Winner
Gamblers can place bets on which team will win a series of games. If your team wins the series, you also win the bet. The payout is higher as the wager involves more risk than a Match Bet.
Outright Winner
This is a prediction of who will win an entire tournament. This type of bet has better odds and payouts than most of the other types of cricket wagers.
Top Batsman
This cricket bet allows you to predict which player will score the most runs during an event. This could be during a match, series, and even a tournament.
Batsman Contest
You get to bet on two players that can be from different teams or the same one. The cricket bet involves predicting who will be the top batsman in a selected category.
Over/Under Bets
This is a prediction if the total score will be under or over a certain benchmark. This cricket wager takes into account all runs scored by the cricket teams and combines them.
Handicap Bets
Your knack for guessing match outcomes can win you some cash with this bet. The larger the handicap, the higher the associated risk and payout. Your payout will be lower if you assign a large advantage to a cricket team.
In-Play
In-Play betting allows gamblers to bet while a match is underway. With this cricket wager, you have the opportunity to cash out before the end of the match, for a lower payout. This is especially useful if the cricket match is not going well.
What You Should Consider When Looking For the Best Cricket Betting Sites
The types of cricket bets you want to make will also influence your choice of a bookmaker. Beginners may only want to start with basic wagers, while advanced cricket bettors will likely want an online bookie that offers cricket betting on most of the game's aspects.
The selection of cricket betting options will also depend on where the betting site is based. For example, many UK-based cricket betting sites will offer a wide selection of cricket betting options. In contrast, countries, where the game is not so popular or well established, will only offer basic online cricket betting.
The best online cricket betting sites compete by offering generous bonus offers of free bets and other promotional offers. Determine how you can use bonuses when you are looking around at offers. Investigate the withdrawal process if your cricket bet should win.
Know Your Teams
If you want to make an informed cricket bet, you need to know something about your teams and the conditions that can influence the outcomes of the cricket matches.
Team Strength
Evaluate the best and worst aspects of both cricket teams. This makes it easier to see which cricket team has an edge over the other.
Keep in mind that some formats of the cricket game favour certain sides over others.
First Innings Score
It's important to note what the first innings scores are at different venues. Certain conditions can affect what is considered a good score, like the size and quality of the pitch and the weather conditions.
Weather
Weather is one of the main factors to consider when betting on cricket as it can have a major influence on the outcome of the cricket match; far more so than with other sports.
If it’s raining or there are poor lighting conditions, the cricket match will likely not occur. However, even minor weather differences can dramatically influence a certain side's chances of winning.
Damp weather will assist the ball's movement, decreasing the chances of a high score for the betting side. The ball will move slower on a dry, hot day, conditions that favour the batsmen.
Spread Betting
This is a way of betting on a prediction of outcomes to take place during a cricket match. Spread betting allows you to bet on the outcome of different match situations like team score, individual runs, and wickets taken. Spread betting is becoming more popular as the risks are lower than fixed-odds betting, and you have a bigger chance of winning.
Choosing the Best Cricket Betting Site
Considering the following will help you identify the best betting site for cricket.
- The website should be user-friendly. How fast does the website load, is there an app, and how easy is it to find your cricket bets?
- Can you use the sign-up bonus for new players to bet online on cricket?
- How responsive is the customer service? Are they contactable 24/7 on email, live chat, and telephone?
- Does the cricket betting site have a licence and is the security sufficient to keep your details encrypted?
- Consider what payment options you have to make deposits and withdrawals. Also look at fees, processing times, and limits.
- What loyalty programs are available, and does the betting site have a VIP scheme?
- Does the website have casino games such as slots, blackjack, poker, and roulette?
- Does the website have a live streaming service? You want to be able to watch the match on your laptop, PC, or mobile device and even take part in in-play betting.
- Market odds will vary, and comparison websites can help you find the best cricket betting odds.
Five Online Security Considerations
Be aware of these security considerations before choosing an online cricket betting website, as you’ll provide them with your personal information when you sign up and you'll also be making real money deposits.
Fully Licensed
Your betting site needs a license from either the Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, or the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.
Security and Encryption
You’ll provide sensitive personal information to your betting site, so make sure that each website's privacy policy indicates how they will keep your data safe. It’ll also need to prove to you that it has SSL-level encryption.
Secure Payment Methods
The best cricket betting sites will have a wide variety of options for making your deposits and withdrawals. These options should include reputable bank cards, e-wallets, bank transfers, and prepaid cards. Transactions should occur fast and must be secure, and there should not be processing fees.
Cricket Betting Odds Must be Fair
Decent cricket betting sites should have transparent and fair betting odds. If your site has an alliance with an Independent Betting Adjudication Service organisation, you know your bets will get a fair result.
Tips for Choosing the Best Cricket Betting App
Many punters prefer to use an app to take part in online cricket betting while they're on the go. It's essential to consider the following factors when deciding on the best cricket betting app to use.
- Design
Look for an app with a user-friendly interface and a modern design.
- Cricket section
It's a useful added benefit to have sections with cricket statistics, match predictions, and cricket betting tips.
- In-Play Section
An app with live streaming and a live scorecard is handy.
What is the Best Cricket Betting App Out There?
This is a tough question, as there are various apps on the market and it can be quite tricky to know where even to start looking. Let's take a look at the features of five of the best apps out there at the moment.
Bet365
This is one of the easiest and most user-friendly apps to use. The app handles the incredible amount of information provided by this cricket betting site very well, without sacrificing content. It has around 140,000 yearly live streaming events available, too.
888sport
This has one of the best search functions of all the apps, which is an essential function for any business. It offers over 2,000 live sports events in a week. It also has excellent customer service, available 24/7, and attractive deals and promotions.
William Hill
William Hill is one of the best-known bookies in the UK. Its app is user-friendly, and the content structure makes it easy to understand and use. It also has a variety of features such as the Bet Boost, which allows for better odds. You can also create your own bets with #YourOdds, live streaming, and a free bet welcome bonus.
Coral
The Coral app is one of the most modern and best available mobile apps. It's the perfect option for mobile betting, even for those who struggle to do it on their phone. The app has an incredible amount of betting options, as well as a live stream feature.
Ladbrokes
This speedy app allows you to bet on several markets at once.
Cricket Betting Bonus Offers
You can use most of the welcome bonus offers from cricket betting sites together with your cricket bets. If these are matched deposit bonuses, the bookie will give you extra bet tokens to use on cricket odds. There will usually be a minimum odds requirement.
Many bookmakers also have cricket specific promotions. You can usually get the best cricket bonus offers when major test matches are taking place, or competitions like the Cricket World Cup. Some promotions might include boosting your profits by betting on certain players performing well and delivering a match-winning performance.
Is Cricket Betting Legal in India?
The Public Gambling Act of 1867 is the principal law regarding gambling in India. As this Act does not mention online gambling and the country doesn’t have national laws that prevent online betting, it’s not regarded as illegal in many parts of the country.
However, it’s up to each state to implement its own gambling laws, and some of the states have more restrictive laws. The legal status of cricket betting will remain uncertain until a clear set of laws is applied for the entire country.
Sports Betting
While there are no laws strictly forbidding punters to bet on cricket, the federal government doesn’t regard betting on the sport as a game of skill like horse racing. Sikkim is the only state with legal sports betting according to the Sikkim Online Gambling Act of 2008. This law indicates that a licence can be issued for betting on sports games such as cricket, horse racing, football, golf, lawn tennis and chess.
Cricket Gambling Laws in India – A Timeline
2015 – The Supreme Court appoints the Lodha commission to investigate cricket betting legalisation after the 2013 IPL match-fixing scandal. In July 2015, the Patiala High Court discharges the 36 accused. Judge Neena Badal rules that cricket betting is not illegal and the law cannot prosecute and convict gamblers for betting on matches.
June 2018 – The Law Commission recommends that the government should give serious consideration to the legalisation of betting in India, with stringent conditions, to prevent money laundering. The Commission stated that as it’s almost impossible to impose an outright cricket betting ban in India, the best course of action would be to control cricket betting and gambling through strict laws.
The Indian government can formulate laws to regulate gambling, as per Articles 249 and 252 of the country's constitution.
While India moves towards cricket betting legalisation, the government still needs to decide on the way forward.
Indian Betting Sites
Most of the local bookmakers in India have now moved to local Indian online betting websites. This is actually illegal, even though it can be beneficial to locals in some ways, as they can bet on credit and get in-person assistance. Most of the local websites and betting apps are not user-friendly. Offshore sites offer better quality, and they are often safer from a regulation perspective.
Indian players use trusted betting online cricket betting sites such as the top five sites for the past year:
- 1xBet - live cricket action
- Bet365 – unique online betting variants
- Funbet – fantastic sign-up bonus
- 22bet – first deposit bonus
- Betition – competitive odds
Future of Cricket Betting in India
At the moment, online cricket betting operators use loopholes in outdated gambling laws to continue operating in the Indian market. These operators don’t face legal consequences in the country, as local laws cannot penalise them. However, the Indian authorities can shut down and fine local betting and gambling sites.
Online betting cricket betting sites from the rest of the world are thus continuing to enter the Indian market. The cricket betting market is growing in India, and the law is not prosecuting punters for using foreign cricket betting sites. Yet, the legality of online cricket betting in India will remain uncertain until the government imposes a clear set of laws across the country.
FAQs – Cricket Betting
There are no rules banning Indians from using online betting platforms located in countries where online sports betting is allowed. Since India considers sports betting to be illegal, betting sites must be situated outside of the country to be legal.
Yes, new users will more than likely get welcome bonuses at most cricket betting sites when they sign up to play and make their first deposit. There are also other promotions, bonuses and loyalty programs that you can take advantage of when you sign up with a bookmaker.
Yes, they're real. As a new user, you'll often get a sign-up bonus when you create an account with an online betting site. The different sites usually also offer other promotions like a 'refer a friend’ bonus that can boost your bankroll, among many other event-specific promotions.
You don't need bonus codes for all free betting offers or bonuses offered by online sportsbooks, but some do require them to be inserted. It depends on which site you are betting from and their individual promotion terms and conditions. It's a good idea to always check these before accepting an offer and depositing your money.
No, thankfully, due to the grey area surrounding online sports betting in India, the government has no laws in place that mandate paying taxes on winnings like other countries’ governments do. India would first have to legalise gambling, in general, to start claiming taxes from its citizens.
In India, there is little information about sports betting and its success. Nonetheless, according to one statistic, 40% of Indians with computers use online betting sites exclusively for lotteries, horse racing, and cricket. Because of its success in the region, cricket is likely the most common sport to bet on. The global betting market for sports betting is estimated to be worth 3-4 billion dollars.
Online betting sites usually have automated systems in place to settle winning bets, and you shouldn't have to wait long. Bookmakers can pay online transactions immediately after the market has closed or the event that you bet on occurs. Depending on the type of wager you place, you may need to wait until the end of the game or even the end of a tournament. The sites may also choose to settle large winning bets manually, which can take a little bit longer.
According to India’s Public Gambling Act of 1867, gambling practices are prohibited regardless of whether they are in an establishment or online. As the Indian government formulated this law in the late 19th century, it doesn't refer to online betting, which places it in a grey area. The Indian government has not amended this law yet to regulate online betting.
To answer your question, if you place bets through an online bookmaker outside of India, you are technically not breaking any laws.
Indian cricket bettors prefer to use international online betting sites like 1xBet, Bet365, Funbet, 22bet, and Betition, for the legalities surrounding local sites are not enticing at all. 10CRIC is another famous site as it is a sportsbook designed by cricketers and fans specifically for online cricket betting.
Local betting and bookies in the country are actually illegal, so bettors change their domain locations to use online sites. Even though there are benefits for locals, such as betting on credit and in-person assistance, most of the local websites and gambling apps are also not user-friendly. Their promotional offers cannot compare to those offered by international sites.
Is it Illegal to Bet on Sports in India?
Which Online Betting Sites are Popular in India?
Indian cricket bettors prefer to use international online betting sites like 1xBet, Bet365, Funbet, 22bet, and Betition, for the legalities surrounding local sites are not enticing at all. 10CRIC is another famous site as it is a sportsbook designed by cricketers and fans specifically for online cricket betting.
Can You Use Local Betting Sites in India?
Local betting and bookies in the country are actually illegal, so bettors change their domain locations to use online sites. Even though there are benefits for locals, such as betting on credit and in-person assistance, most of the local websites and gambling apps are also not user-friendly. Their promotional offers cannot compare to those offered by international sites.
Final Thoughts
We trust that you have now learned everything you need to know or at least something you didn’t know about online cricket betting, including how to find cricket betting sites that will provide you with the best value for money an equally impressive user experience.
You would also have found information on the best cricket betting websites and mobile apps for betting online. We hope you have gained a better understanding of online cricket betting and how to use the different betting markets. That you now have enough information to select a website that can meet your cricket betting needs.