The Landscape of Popular Sports in India and Betting Strategies
India has a massive passion for sports. And no, it’s not only cricket. Yes, cricket is the country’s sport, but the popularity of different games is growing.
Below, we’ll tell you about popular sports in India and successful sports betting strategies.
Top Sports in India: A Statistical Overview
Cricket is well-documented as the most popular, closely followed by football and kabaddi.
Cricket is not just a traditional sport in India. It’s a phenomenon. According to an IFSG-KPMG report, 54.4% of Indians are cricket fans. The Indian Premier League (IPL) has the most impressive viewership numbers. The IPL 2020 had an average viewership of 8.34 million per match, with the 2020 season reaching a total of 405 million viewers on television alone, rising to 505 million viewers by 2022. The 2023 statistics aren’t out yet, but we suspect them to increase further. The massive viewership contributes to the 80% of sports sponsorship spend directed towards cricket.
Football is one of the most popular sports in India. The viewership figures with the Indian Super League (ISL) showed over 1.36 million viewers per match in 2021 and a total estimated viewership of 84 million in 2022.
Kabaddi is also popular and rooted in Indian heritage. There’s now a resurgence in viewers thanks to the Pro Kabaddi League, with 226 million viewers during the initial 90 matches in 2023. That’s an incredible 17% increase, making it the only sport outside of cricket to reach over 200 million viewers. The league’s success is thanks to the commercial viability of regional sports on a national scale.
Introduction to Sports Betting in India
In India, the legal and cultural landscape of sports gambling is both complex and diverse. Governed by the Public Gambling Act of 1867, which prohibits the operation or visiting of a public gambling house, the law does not directly address the realm of online betting. This oversight has left a grey area as the internet and digital iGaming platforms have evolved, well beyond the scope of 19th-century legislation.
Each state in India holds the power to regulate iGaming within its borders, leading to a mosaic of regulations. For instance, Sikkim has embraced online gambling by enacting legislation that regulates and licenses these activities, providing a structured framework for both operators and bettors. Conversely, states like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have expanded their gaming laws to prohibit online gambling, reflecting a stringent stance against gambling.
The acceptance of sports gambling varies widely – it depends on where you are and who you’re speaking to. Some regions think of it as a legitimate form of entertainment. And we can’t lie – some are skeptical. Religion plays a massive role, and India is a deeply religious country.
The central government remains relatively hands-off, and states can navigate the complexities of online gambling independently. It’s similar to the US.
Types of Sports Bets
Gambling options on the popular spots in India vary. Here are several types of sports bets:
- Moneyline Bets: This is the most straightforward type of bet where you pick the winner of a match. It’s popular due to its simplicity and is widely used in all sports.
- Spread Betting: Involves not just on who will win but by how much. The bookmaker sets a ‘spread’ based on the predicted difference in performance, and bettors wager on whether the outcome will be above or below this spread.
- Totals (Over/Under): This bet focuses on the combined score of a game. The bookmaker sets a line, and bettors predict whether the total score will be higher or lower than this number.
Strategies for Successful Sports Betting
Successful sports betting in India means knowing your stuff. Cricket and football are the most popular.
With cricket, the numerous game formats like Test, ODI, and T20 mean you need adaptable strategies. For example, in Test cricket, factors like pitch conditions and weather influence a game over its duration. Pre-match and live bets on session scores and match outcomes are essential to consider.
T20 – leagues like the IPL – means looking at player form and team dynamics. Bets on individual performances and over/under scores can be lucrative.
With football, we think you should understand team formations, player fitness, general team performance statistics, etc. We say etc, because the list could get long. And then you have to consider injuries, players returning from injuries, and whether the team you’re betting on is playing at their home ground. Bets on outcomes like the number of goals scored (over/under) or which team will score (both teams to score) can be lucrative if you research.
Don’t forget your bankroll management. Setting a budget and actually sticking to it is essential. We’d advise never to risk more than 2-5% of your bankroll on one wager.
Another thing not to forget? Discipline. Sticking to a thoughtful strategy and not deviating from predetermined plans will prevent you from losing money.
Those are our best tips on how to win money betting on sports in India.
Spotlight on Cricket: Betting Tips and Tricks
We all know cricket is the most popular sport in India – the statistics prove it. Everyone wants to learn how to win money betting on sports in India. Successful cricket betting means understanding the game’s conditions and the players involved. Whatever you do, don’t put a random bet on it without understanding anything. We can almost promise you won’t win unless you get some beginner’s luck.
The first thing to think about with cricket betting is analyzing pitch reports. Here, you’ll learn whether you have a clue about cricket or not. For example, a dry, cracked pitch may favor spinners, but a green, grassy pitch could be perfect for fast bowlers.
Player form is obviously something to think about. Again, if you know a few things about the most famous players, you should probably research. And, no, following them on Instagram doesn’t count as research. A player’s recent performance will give you great insights into their potential impact. For example, a batsman consistently scoring high in recent matches will likely continue his good form. Most likely, is the keyword – they’re not guaranteed to.
You can also look at anecdotal evidence. For example, look back at the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 match between India and Bangladesh. Bangladesh needed two runs from the final three balls, and with two well-set batsmen, the odds heavily favored Bangladesh. Plot twist, a deep analysis of the match conditions and player performances – especially the bowlers’ ability to exploit the pressure – would have shown you a potential drama. And that’s precisely what happened. India won by executing perfect deliveries, capitalizing on the mounting pressure. The result was a dramatic last-ball victory.
How much have you won on cricket betting?
Future Trends in Sports Betting in India
The future of sports betting in India is exciting. We’d say mobile apps and live play will be the future.
Mobile apps are more popular because we’re glued to our phones. Not everyone has the time to sit behind a computer or laptop. And as smartphone technology improves and the market penetrates rural areas in India, the potential market for online gambling will grow.
Live betting is getting more exciting. The odds update by the minute, making it almost impossible to look away. We’d say that players look at the app/platform more than they do the game. This form of gambling is popular in cricket and football because the game constantly changes – it makes sense for live gambling. Technological advancements in live streaming and live gambling are definitely the future, making players more connected to the sports they bet on.
Still, we can get excited about these trends all we want, but the regulatory environment must evolve to address the challenges. There’s a growing voice from Indian policymakers that a comprehensive legal framework for online gambling could lead to better regulation. Is there a potential for it to curb illegal activities and increase tax revenue? Yes.
What do you think about the popularity of sports in India? We’d say popularity is finally growing outside cricket, but cricket will always be the most popular. Fuelled by technological innovations, there are finally new opportunities for sports to engage with a diverse audience of fans. And with our tips, sports betting can be more successful.