Although it’s not regulated yet, online sports betting has taken off in India. India has one of the world’s largest populations, and it’s obvious that a huge portion of the global bettors are from India. Data also shows that most Indian bettors are spending time on cricket.
In today’s post, we want to break this stereotype. We want to explore different sports betting markets beyond cricket in India. We have a Betzillion betting expert, Mr. Tim Harrison, at News Daily India to explain everything. After you learn about the new scopes, you can read the Gullybet review to explore those scopes.
Tim Harrison to News Daily India: The Legality of Betting
Considering the general social values in India, gambling is still not as widely accepted as in the Western world. So, it’s normal for you to think gambling would be illegal. But is it? That’s why we asked Tim to open his floor.
Thankfully, Tim brings good news. Gambling is illegal in India except for a few states. How is this good news, you ask?
The Public Gambling Act of 1867 only mentions gambling, not online gambling. Even though India still uses the same regulatory guidelines to regulate gambling, online gambling remains unregulated.
And there is no concept of legal or illegal when there is no law to regulate it in the first place. The bottom line is that betting on your favorite sports on an international betting site is completely legal until the government decides to update the legislation.
So, What Other Sports Can Indians Bet on?
Cricket has been the most popular sport in India for decades. It’s true for surrounding countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Indian Premier League, or the IPL, is currently the largest domestic cricket tournament in the world.
You have every right to watch every cricket match as a sports fan. But you don’t have to be limited to a single sport as a bettor. In this section, let Tim Harrison unleash your horizon to sports betting that goes beyond cricket.
Football
If Indians are not watching cricket, they’re watching football. Commonly known as soccer in the Americans, football is currently the most popular sport in the world. It means the betting community behind this sport is also the largest.
As a result, online betting sites are always swarmed with markets from all kinds of football tournaments. Some of the top options include:
- UEFA Champions League
- English Premier League
- Ligue 1
- Bundesliga
- Copa America
- FIFA World Cup
Kabaddi
As an Indian, it’s only fair that you show some love to a native sport. India hosts different Kabaddi tournaments all over the country. So, if you look at an India-focused online betting site and go to the Kabaddi tab, you’ll find more than enough markets to keep yourself occupied.
Some of the biggest kabaddi events to explore in India are:
- Pro Kabaddi League (PKL)
- Kabaddi World Cup
- Kabaddi Masters
- Kabaddi Circle Cup
- Kabaddi Premier League (KPL)
Hockey
We know how much you love hockey. The field variation of the sport is only found in the Indian subcontinent. Although hockey is often considered India’s national game, it’s officially not. It’s just that it’s one of the oldest national sports, giving it a legacy.
The top field hockey tournaments from across the world include:
- The Olympic Games
- Men’s Pro League
- Men’s World Cup
- Women’s World Cup
- Commonwealth Games
Tennis
Although not played as commonly as hockey or cricket, tennis is still a hugely popular sport among Indians. If you’ve never explored tennis betting options before, this might be a great opportunity to do it.
Tennis is also internationally popular, which means you’ll always find a tournament to bet on. You can utilize the cricket craze’s downtime to practice your tennis betting skills.
Here are some common events for you to bet on:
- The 4 Grand Slam Events
- Ryder Cup
- The Summers Game
- ATP Finals
- WTA Finals
- Laver Cup
Wrestling
No, we’re not talking about WWE wrestling. Rather, we’re talking about what is locally known as “Kusthi” or “Dangal.” The sport flourished in the rural areas of Indian states, where enthusiasts trained daily on the soil.
India has plenty of national-level tournaments that you can bet on. Apart from them, the Olympics Summer Games is perhaps the biggest stage for Indian wrestling.
Basketball
Basketball is another sport in India that doesn’t get enough appreciation from bettors. You’re missing out on world-class basketball events when you’re too busy chasing even the smallest cricket events.
Basketball is an internationally popular sport with a high betting volume and viewership volume. So, look out for the basketball tournaments below the next time you plan on betting.
- NBA
- WNBA
- FIBA Basketball World Cup
- NCAA Tournament
- EuroLeague Final Tour
- FIBA AmeriCup
Overview of the Scope of Sports Betting in India Beyond Cricket
The purpose of this post is not to discourage you from betting on cricket. If that’s what you love, be sure to do it. We’re trying to establish here that you shouldn’t be confined to only one sport. The industry is much bigger than you think, and many other opportunities exist.
A good reason to diversify your betting portfolio is the time cricket bets take to settle. It would help to wait for the match to end unless you’re not live betting. Most games are shorter in duration than cricket, leaving more room for you to go about your day.
We have listed the top sports we know for a fact that you’d love to bet on from India. Of course, some of you will have even more ideas. So, consider that idea and let your betting adventures go beyond cricket.
