Online betting in India

Betting in India has its long traditions back in time. However, it was only in 2018 that the Law Commission finally recommended that sports associated gambling, including the online betting, needs to be legalized. The commission went that far as to cite specific ancient civic texts to demonstrate its prevalence during the times of the Medieval era. Nowadays betting in India becomes popular activity that many do online.

The online betting is growing more and more popular in the recent years, and according to KPMG, its revenue has reached Rs. 4 380 crores in FY18.This revenue is generated not only from sports betting but also from fantasy sports, also known as games of skills, which are among the legal activities in India. The betting on sporting events, especially the online betting, is now flourishing. The Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation has estimated that around Rs. 3 lakh crore are changing their owners each year. This happens through the help of international websites, bookies, encrypted chat rooms, etc. The Federation is further estimating that the government can collect gains of around Rs 19, 000 in tax revenue each year if setting the sports betting status.

The lack of specific regulation has turned gambling into a severe social and economic issue, which can also undermine the credibility of the professional sport. Based on all that, the India Gaming Federation and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry joined the forces at the end of July 2019 to offer a regulatory framework. This framework is aiming to remedy the current perception that sports online betting has.

Supported by athletes, stakeholders and officials, the framework aims to improve the reputation of the sports and the sporting contest in general. The regulation in the sector will further minimize the fraud that some of the bookmakers do.

In the very end of 2018, a Private Member’s Bill was introduced in India, named Online Gaming and Prevention of Fraud. The aim of the Bill is to legitimize the sports betting and thus to erase the issues that gave the betting in India such a name. Certain states in India do have the prerogative to draft gambling laws, yet there is no central regulation. The states that do have specific gambling regulations have created around 10 000 direct and indirect jobs in areas such as marketing, telecommunication, financial services.

Providing that the Bill is passed, it will result in the creation of uniform operational and technical standards for the online betting platforms in India. It would be possible for them to be monitored by independent audit companies and AIGF. At the same time, the money that is generated from sports betting in India will no longer be part of the underground economy. The Bill aims to keep a centralized ledger of all the transactions that are made on the online betting platforms. This will lead to revenue generation for the state that could ideally be used for further development of the sports industry.

With all said, it is still not clear whether online betting in India is legal or not. There is no law yet that makes the online sports betting in this country illegal. Many bookmakers and betting companies from abroad use that hole in the legislation to provide online sports betting in India. It is believed that the sports betting market in India is worth more than 150 billion dollars per year, and a great deal of it comes from cricket betting. Bets can be placed on anything associated with the cricket.

How to bet online in India?

Online betting in India is gaining more and more popularity. There are many online betting sites that allow people from India to deposit and to bet following the rules of their website.

How does the online betting in India work?

  • The first step of online betting in India is to find bookmakers that accept bettors from India.
  • The second step of online betting in India is to make sure those bookmakers are taking the Indian currency. In other words, in case a customer from India can deposit, then bet and withdraw his money using the Indian Rupees, this is the best situation. The exchange fees of dollars and pounds could be quite expensive.
  • The third step is to find out whether the bookmaker provides sign up bonuses and promotions and whether they are presented to the Indian customers. Bookmakers usually offer free bets for registering and for important betting events, aiming to encourage the customers to place more bets.
  • The fourth step is to check the betting options that are offered. Are many sports covered or just some of them? The sports that attract much of the attention in India include cricket, football and tennis. Note that within each game, it is essential to have different betting options.
  • The fifth step of online betting in India is to pick your preferred deposit method. Most of the European and UK bookmakers accept all available banking methods such as credit cards and debit cards, as well as e-wallets. In India, one of the best deposit options is Neteller, which acts as an e-wallet by storing funds with no risk. It is similar to the online banking account, and though the funds' withdrawal and upload are charged, it is effortless.
  • Once all that is set, the final sixth step is to start betting.

Which are the bookmakers that accept Indian Customers?

Betting in India is still in the grey area, yet many people use the services of the international bookmaker. There is no law that bans an individual customer from placing on an online bet with a bookmaker.

Many bookmakers welcome customers from India who do online betting. The hard thing is the money deposit in rupees at the bookmaker and the collection of the sum after winning. This means that there are only several online bookmakers who can service the online betting clients in India.

India is among the attractive markets for the top bookmakers. The best options for online betting in India, based on efficiency and history, include:

  • The bookmaker Ladbrokes, since they accept accounts that are registered from an IP address in India and different deposit modes.
  • The bookmaker William Hill, as they also take accounts registered from an IP address in India.
  • The bookmaker Paddy Power is among the most popular bookmakers that accept customers from India.
  • The bookmaker Betfair, which however is instead a betting exchange provider and not a bookmaker.

All these bookmakers take Indian rupees, which is convenient for those that bet. They offer live betting on cricket, football, and other sports. The only officially recognized betting in India, however, is on horse racing. That is why the offshore betting sites are making enormous profits during the cricket tournaments such as Indian tour matches, IPL, Cricket World Cup, etc.

Online betting in Indian rupees

Betting online in India is possible, and there are a few options that customers can choose from that allow them to use Indian Rupees. When selecting an online bookmaker, the clients should make sure that they are allowed to bet on their favourite sports with the best options they can get. Before betting online in India, the customers should also check which promotions are eligible for the new and continuing players since that could add serious value to the betting.

How does betting online in India work? Deposits, payment methods and bonus options.

There are several steps that the client should take when betting from India since there are certain restrictions.

  • Choose a bookmaker that allows you to deposit payments in rupees, register and open an account with the betting site.
  • Choose one of the right payment methods to deposit money to betting sites. Use Skrill, Neteller or e-Wallets.
  • Use a valid email address, identity card and personal details.

Pay attention to the bonus options and the free bets available for the Indian players. The online betting sites are usually competing against each other, striving to gain and keep customers. This results in benefits for the players in the form of deposit bonus options or free bets. Always check the promotions and the bonus options available at the different online betting sites to get the most of them.

Betting with rupees

The best site for online betting for Indian customers that accept rupees is Betway. It allows the Indian customers to register and accepts Mastercard and Visa cards from India, as well as payment methods such as Skrill and Neteller. Another website for online betting that allows Indian customers is Bet 365, and it can also manage the account in Rupees.

Deposit using e-wallets

If allowed, the Indian customers should use their Visa or Mastercard. When this option is not enabled for Indian customers, then they can use e-wallets. The e-wallets might be the only option for them to deposit and withdraw in rupees.

The most trustworthy of these wallets are Neteller and Skrill. They go beyond the regulation which is imposed on betting sites, and keep the payments anonymous. This means that these transactions will never appear as a payment to a betting site on the bank account.

Bet online in India

Betting online is associated with initial research and background check. Once the customer does his homework well, then he can bet online. The different players are looking for different things such as big bonuses, high betting odds, secure payment options. If you want to enjoy online betting games in India, then decide what works best for you.

Thanks to the technologies, the betting online has faced many advancements, and customers can now place their bets live and from home. They can also do in-play betting as the game is playing. Since the odds and lines are varying with the progress of the game, the customer has to follow the odds and bet according to them.

The betting online in India work on a post-up basis. The customers from India can use money only from the balance of their account. In case the bet wins the money are returned to the account balance along with the winnings. Then the Indian customer can withdraw all or just part of the account balance upon his desire.

Every betting site has a cashier with different deposit and withdrawal options. Many online betting games in India’s websites claim to accept debit and credit cards; however, not all cards for India can work. Some cards are declined, even if they have money in the account. For that reason, setting e-wallet is highly advisable.

Payment of tax on winnings after betting online

The question of tax payment on the winnings after betting online is quite tricky. It should be consulted with a lawyer or a tax advisor. According to the Indian law of the Income Tax Act, card games, lottery and horse racing, as well as other betting winnings are being taxed at 30%.

Indians can bet sports online only abroad and thus have no fear of legal consequences. They usually set up a small freelance business and make their website where they list Skrill as their legal payment method. They account all funding of Skrill as an expense and all withdrawals as a revenue. In this why they cover their online betting as small business transactions. This is a common practice and is widely accepted.

The smaller betters who win less than 3 Lakh rupees per year usually do not report their winnings, and they are unnoticed. These online betting participants can limit the number of transactions that go to and from their bank account to avoid questions. They also can use an e-wallet like Skrill or Neteller and store their money there, moving them freely between the betting sites. After that, they can withdraw small sums every couple of months. In other words, most Indians do not pay tax when they are betting with small amounts.

Online betting tips

Many sports betting websites in India provide free betting tips to their customers. These are online betting tips that guide and help those that want to make payments and withdraw the money they have won.

Usually, the free betting tips are written by professional sportspeople and are based on in-depth analysis and predictions on the upcoming sports events that are being played around the world. The online betting tips show which team or player is the most profitable to bet based on the odds.

The tips are usually given 48 hours before the match goes live, when possible. All online betting tips need to be alive at 24 hours before the game.

Betting online is possible on football and cricket, horse racing and other Indian and international sports. There are specific tips that have to follow based on the games selected.

The betting online can be fascinating and rewarding if you know how to predict what is to happen. Check these online betting tips and strategies to get bigger wins:

  • Research the sports you are betting on and collect as much knowledge as possible.
  • Research the teams and the players, as well as the tournaments of the selected game.
  • Choose a reliable online sportsbook and get a safe and thrilling betting experience.
  • Ensure the in-game interface is excellent.
  • Check the hedging opportunities by betting on other sides of a game to lock up profits from pre-game wagers.
  • Do not place a wager against yourself.
  • Do not use live betting to chase losses.
  • Select the odds better than what you have initially selected.
  • Watch out and do not let betting opportunities overrule on you.
  • Do not place a live bet on many games at the same time.
  • Try live betting but be patient and start putting a wager considering these tips.

The Betting Odds

When doing online betting, the several odds formats are American Odds, European Odds, Malay, Indonesian, Hong Kong Odds and Fractional Odds. The payouts are the same regardless of the odds format, and most sites allow the person to change how the odds are displayed. The most popular and less confusing odds are the European ones. They are listed as a positive number and show how much a ticket that wins can payout for each of the units wagered. Regardless of the odds’ size, the return equals to stake x odds.

The bettors should use multiple online betting sites to compare the odds between the bookies and to bet at the one with the highest payout.

Sports online betting in India

Sports betting in India is possible through sports betting websites that try to enter the Indian market. However, not all of these online sports betting sites are safe. There are specific criteria which the sports betting websites in India have to meet to guarantee that they are reliable and of high quality. These norms and key features include:

  • Security and safety first: The trusted sports betting websites in India should apply the SSL encryption and should be licensed by the reputable authorities.
  • Offered 24-hour support: the continuous customer service, including live chat, email support and direct calling, are the main requirements for a good betting site.
  • Immediate payouts: the speed of the payout is essential for online sports betting. The payment should be within a day.
  • Sports betting in India: India is a diverse sporting nation. The sports betting websites in India have to offer not only cricket betting but a variety of games plus a wide range of betting markets. Even so, know that cricket betting makes a considerable proportion of sports betting in India because of its popularity.
  • The odds: the odds that the betting site offers have to be very competitive.
  • The bonus: the best sports betting websites in India offer great bonuses and welcome prizes. Note that some bonuses have more value than others.
  • User Experience: the online sports betting is also associated with the user interface, operations and navigability of a website.

The best sports betting websites in India include:

  • Betway – a reputable and reliable betting site where Indian customers can make credit card payments. It offers payments in Rupees and allows customer addresses in India. It provides excellent opportunities for betting on popular sports in India such as cricket and horse racing. High possibility to make deposits and withdrawals in rupees.
  • Dafabet – an online betting site from the Philippines, accepting payments in Rupees. Indian customers can choose from a great selection of cricket, tennis and horse racing bets. Bookies Bonuses - another good online sports betting site that allows payments through e-wallets and welcomes Indian customers.
  • Bet365 - the most significant betting company in the world, providing many offers and live betting, rewards for frequent players. Indian customers can choose from different payment methods and a great choice of popular sports and events.
  • Royal Panda – offering live casino and accepting Indian Rupees, as well as a high level of customer service.

Casino online betting in India

Casino online betting in India is becoming more and more popular. The country is facing an increase in poker popularity. Online betting in India is still facing ambiguity in connection with the laws for online casinos in India, yet Indian players feel secure when playing, betting and winning Indian rupees. Clients should know however, that the online casinos in India are associated with a high tax on the winnings.

The casino betting websites in India are getting more and more popular. There are many possibilities for people from India to use the online casinos in India and to gain Indian rupees. Among the best online casinos in India are Betaway and Royal Panda.

The online casinos in India are not allowed to promote online gambling games, including bingo, casino, and sports betting. However, it is legal for the offshore casino companies to operate with Indian players. The only requirement is that those offshore casinos should offer payment in Indian Rupees for the Indian players. Nowadays, some of the largest online casino companies, including Betway, Unibet, 10Cric and LeoVegas, provide casino games and sports betting for Indian customers.

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