Officially, betting in India has been illegal since 1867. Since then, the law has not changed. Nevertheless, many call this country a “bookmaker’s colony”, and the best bookmakers in the world are fighting for the right to work in the Indian market.
Is betting prohibited in India?
Betting is still officially banned in India. Sports betting has been outlawed for over 150 years. The only thing that has been permitted since then from gambling is lotteries in 1998. Even though sports betting is officially illegal, bookmakers use a huge hole in the legislation to carry out their activities. All bookmakers operate in the Indian market while in other countries.
India is interesting to many bookmakers because this country is one of the most populous in the world. More than 1 billion people live in it. Half of them are below the poverty line. Many people perceive betting as an opportunity to make easy money.
India has a state that has regionally allowed sports betting. This is Sikkim, a popular area with foreign tourists. The site Playwin is very popular there, which is used by Indians living in other states. Such foreign bookmakers as Dafabet, Paddy Power, Bet 365, parimatch India, and others are also successfully operating in the country.
Are sports betting allowed in India?
The Indian government regularly considers the issue of legalizing sports betting in the country, but the authorities have not yet made a specific decision. In 2020, the head of the Ministry of Finance, Anurag Thakur, said that betting should be allowed to regulate the activities of shadow bookmakers.
This step will allow taking control of fixing matches, the cases of which are very frequent in India. Sports betting will bring a lot of money to the state treasury that can be used to fight poverty.
Major Indian businessmen are in favor of legalizing betting. In 2019, entrepreneurs asked the government to legalize 6 gambling establishments to attract tourists.
What are they betting on in India?
Every Indian’s favorite sport, which can even be called national, is cricket. Every year, a championship is held in this discipline, followed by the whole country. This sport is the most popular among those people in India who practice betting.
Cricket is played in India by children, teenagers, and adults. This is a favorite pastime for schoolchildren after class. If in street cricket the number of participants can be any, in professional it is strictly 2 teams of 11 people each. The peculiarity of the sport is that one match can last several days. This attracts bettors from countries where cricket is not a popular sport.
You don’t have to live in India to play cricket. You need to familiarize yourself with the basic facts about the game:
- 3 fight formats – the first level, “one-day”, and T20;
- the duration of the game at the first level – from 3 to 5 days;
- the fastest and most dynamic format – T20, the match lasts only 3.5 hours;
- the main goal of the team is to beat off the match, which is being served by the opponent;
- the principle is similar to a paintball;
- the field can be of different sizes, but it must have a round shape;
- in the center of the field there must be a “pitch” circle with a diameter of 20 m;
- the whole main game takes place in the “pitch”;
- the goal of the attacking player is to score as many “wounds” as possible.
The list of cricket bets is as follows, depending on the bookmaker’s office:
- for the outcome;
- double chance;
- Asian handicap;
- total is over;
- total is less;
- individual statistics;
- first innings (serve or attack);
- drawing of lots.
To increase your chance of winning, you can use a strategy. Before placing a cricket bet, you need to consider the following factors:
- results of the draw;
- weather;
- field factor;
- the physical form of the players;
- length of the match.
If it is a live mode, there is no need to ignore the results of the draw. In cricket, it is very important who takes the innings after the whistle. The team that gained the advantage in the first attack is more likely to win.
The type of pitch coverage can affect the batsman’s performance. If the surface is soft, after hitting the ground, the ball flies more slowly, so the player has a better chance of hitting it with dignity.
