Millions of people around the world are hardcore sports enthusiasts. Hence, it’s quite natural that online betting has become extremely popular. In India online betting is on the rise. Cricket is not only a sport in India but for many, it can also be considered a religion. So, it is no surprise that cricket betting is the most popular sports betting discipline. Indian bookies operate offline and online.
Top Indian Betting Sites
Sports Betting in India
Betting in India has always been a grey area with outdated laws and regulations. But this issue has been solved with the emergence of Online Betting. Unlike illegal betting activity in Indian cities and villages, no criminals are involved, nor are there any unfortunate cases of fraud.
Although Indian casinos still cannot actively promote Online Betting, it is not illegal for offshore companies to have sites that focus on Indian players. The only requirement from a legal standpoint is that the offshore companies have to offer Indian Rupees as the sole payment method for Indian players.
Cricket Betting
This may come as a surprise, but Cricket is not the national sport of India. However, it’s definitely safe to say that every home in the subcontinent has a passion for this sport. Online betting has taken note of this “not so well kept” secret and Indian bettors can place bets on literally any cricket game. Indian National Cricket Team is in action quite frequently, something that is complemented by the annual Indian Premier League (IPL) competition.
IPL owners invested tons of money into the league and therefore each team is comprised of superstars from around the world. Therefore, IPL is like a league of cricket Dream Teams going head to head each week. So, the popularity among cricket fans and bettors is enormous.
Horse Racing
Horse racing and online betting are a perfect match. No matter which country you’re in, one of the top sportsbook markets will always be horse racing. India is no exception. In fact, horse racing is considered the second most popular sport in India, which obviously also makes Horse Race betting a staple amongst Indian bettors.
Football Betting
Football, also known as soccer, is an upcoming sport in India. While most Indian bettors are aware of the importance of football in Europe, it is still not considered a mainstream sport in the subcontinent. However, the emergence of live streaming and social media is positively affecting this sport’s popularity amongst youngsters.
Tennis Betting
Another very popular sport in India is tennis. India is a proud nation. So, whenever one of their sportsmen excels at a given sport, there will almost certainly be mass interest in the sport. Leander Paes, one of India’s greatest athletes, is a top doubles player. His achievements over the years have brought India a lot of pride. Additionally, with Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic still excelling at this stage in their careers, tennis has become even more popular. Tennis betting is so big, it’s considered the 3rd most popular sport to bet on in the UK, after football and horse racing.
Bookmakers vs Betting Exchanges
Bookmakers, commonly referred to as Bookies, are traditional betting platforms. They offer players, options to bet on various sporting events based on betting odds. Betting odds are formulated by statisticians and analysts to guarantee profits for each outcome. Outcomes that have a higher probability of occurring, will generally have lower odds. And vice-versa for low probability outcomes.
Betting exchanges offer a platform for players to trade outcomes of sports events. However, instead of placing a bet on an event, you will now be betting against other players. This head-to-head element adds a new dimension to the betting experience. So, whoever wins their bets, will end up with the other player’s money.
What’s the difference between the two?
It’s quite clear that these are two conflicting philosophies. The main differences between Bookmakers and Betting Exchanges are as follows:
| Bookmakers | Betting Exchanges | |
|---|---|---|
| Profits | Player’s lost bets | Commission on every bet, like Poker rake |
| Betting Odds | Predetermined | Players can set odds |
| Arbitrage Policies | Strictly against | No issue |
| Betting Limits | Usually restricted | No restrictions |
| Bet Slip | Yes | No |
| Betting Combinations | Yes | No |
Online Betting Odds
Online betting sites will normally display betting odds in decimals. However, there are 3 commonly accepted ways of displaying betting odds and most betting sites will give you the display options to choose from. At Indian betting sites, decimal odds are the most accepted option.
Decimal Style Betting Odds
This straightforward system is the most commonly used one in Europe and Asia. All you need to do in order to calculate your payout is to multiply the amount you wish to wager with the decimal odds. For example, if you wish to place a Rs. 1,000 wager on India at 1.50, then your potential payout will be Rs. 1,500.
Fraction Odds
A popular method used in the UK. Betting odds appear as fractions. If we look at our example from before, then odds of 1.50 will appear as 3/2 fraction odds.
American Style Betting Odds
These odds are frequently used by online sportsbooks in the USA and Canada. If you are not familiar with this option, then it can be complicated to understand. First, you have either positive or negative odds. Negative odds (-) mean that an outcome is more likely to happen. Placing a bet on that outcome would pay out less than the total amount wagered. Positive odds mean an outcome is less likely to occur and will payout more than even money if it lands.
Types of Bets
At Indian betting sites, you have many different betting options. Each bet placed at online betting exchanges is independent of another bet. However, at online bookmakers, you can form combinations of bets. If you place just one bet, then it’s called a Single. If you want to combine more than one bet, then you have a few options too.
Today, online bettors can bet on many different game outcomes and statistics. In the past, you could only bet on a certain team to win or a draw. But, today players can bet on match stats too, such as total boundaries, top batsmen, number of goals scored, etc. Each of these bets by themselves are single bets. If you carry on reading we’ll explain all the bet options.
Head to Head
Most common bets that are placed at Indian betting sites, (1X2). Players need to bet on one of three outcomes: Team A wins, Team B wins, or a Draw. For example, if the Indian cricket team or facing Pakistan in a heated exchange, you could bet on India or Pakistan to win, or bet on a draw.
Outrights
Bets are usually associated with competitions or match statistics. In most sporting events today, a man of the match is selected at the end of the game. Online bettors can bet on who will win the man of the match. Additional outright bet examples are top batsman, best bowler, top goal scorer, team to win the world cup, and more.
Under/Over
Another popular bet in most sporting events is under/over. Players need to bet on one of three outcomes: Over or under the specified target, or the exact target. For example: In a football match between Liverpool and Manchester United, the target is more than 3 goals in the match. So, players would need to bet on over or under 3 goals or exactly 3 goals. Most of the time under/over bets work the same way as head-to-head bets. But sometimes, there may only be two outcomes instead of three.
Asian Handicaps
Given the name due to this bet’s origin. Asian handicaps offer more winning probability by eliminating a result. So, instead of having 3 possible outcomes you only have two. Asian handicaps are very popular among high rollers who tend to bet very large sums of money. But online betting sites usually lower their odds for these types of bets.
Handicap Bets
Handicap betting involves the application of a points or goal margin to the favorite team or player in a contest. This is to create more level odds for each outcome. For example, Manchester United is playing at home against a team from the bottom of the premier league. Therefore, Man United is considered a heavy favorite. So if the standard head-to-head odds for Man United to win are 1.20, then with a one or two-goal handicap, the odds for Man United to win could be 1.50 and 2.20, respectively. If United were to win 1-0 then the betting result would be a draw with a one-goal handicap. If the match ended in a draw then the other team wins according to the handicap bet rules.
Standard Combination Bets
Besides single bets, players can increase their winning odds by combining bets. If we look at how probabilities work when two independent outcomes take place their odds are multiplied by each other. Combination bets come in many variations with Doubles being the smallest combo bet. Some combinations require all bets to land, while others pay out even if only some bets land. Combination bets can pay out big. But, the risk is much higher. Online betting sites, will usually not allow you to place bets from the same match on the same betting slip. Combination bets are not available at online betting exchanges.
Doubles
Place two separate bets on the same bet slip. Both bets’ odds will be multiplied by each other to give you the combined odds. For example, if you bet on India to win their cricket match at 1.80 and then on Roger Federer to win his tennis match at 1.50, then your combined odds will be 1.80 X 1.55, which is 2.79.
Triples
Similar to doubles, triples add a third bet to the betting slip. In order to get paid out you need to land all three results. All three betting odds are then multiplied to give your winning combo.
Online Betting Accumulator Bets
Accumulator bets, or “Accas”, are combination bets with a system. What we mean is that you can add 3 or more bets to your slip and define it as an accumulator bet. If we look at our standard triple bet, then you will only be paid if all 3 bets win. However, if our triple bet is defined as an accumulator bet, then we count individual bets and combinations all in one betting slip. Accumulators cost more money than standard bets, but they lower the risk of losing significantly. Of course, when minimizing your risk you are also lowering your potential wins.
3-Fold Accas
These bets are very rare to find at online casinos that offer sports betting. Most accas start from 4 selections. In a 3-fold accas, your bet slip will be calculated as one triple bet, three doubles, and 3 singles. So, you have 7 different betting options all in one slip. Trixie bets are found online but they only count doubles and a triple.
4-Fold Accas / Lucky 15
Most online bookmakers, love players who make accumulator bets. Firstly, because chances are that some of your bets won’t land. Secondly, players stand more chance of winning some money back, they tend to bet much larger amounts of money than on standard bets. Therefore, top Indian betting sites like 10Cric and Betway offer special accumulator promotions. Lucky 15’s are the most common combo bet and they consist of 15 bets: 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 triples, and 1 four-fold (quadruple). If you choose a Yankee bet option then all singles are not counted. So, you’re left with 11 bets.
Other accumulator bets include:
- 5 selections: Lucky 31 (31 bets), Super Yankee (26 bets)
- 6 selections: Lucky 63 (63bets), Heinz (57 bets)
- 7 selections: Super Heinz (120 bets)
- 8 selections: Goliath (247 bets)