Cricket Betting Sites | The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
India is a country known for many things. An extremely populated country filled with rivers, mountain ranges and deserts, it seems the country caters to every type of individual. The people of India also are bonkers over their cinema and their sports. Bollywood in particular is a money generating behemoth that has the ability to create global superstars overnight. Similarly the sports industry is also filled with athletes that are known the world over. It is true that when I say sports, I am referring to the biggest sport there is i.e cricket.
To label cricket as a sport in India would be doing it injustice. Cricket is akin to a religion followed by the billion plus Indians and many more all over the world. We are talking about die hard fans that follow every move of their favourite cricketers. It is of great importance then that superstars like Virender Sehwag have started to promote cricket betting sites in India.
Cricket Betting | Is it Legal in India?
There is no straight forward answer to this. As per the Gambling Act of 1867, no one should promote gambling or take part in it. It is considered as an offence punishable by law. However, as you can imagine, this does not cater to online betting as there were no online services all the way back in 1867. To say there is confusion with regards to online betting would be an understatement. Every week Indian newspapers publish stories about how gambling dens were raided or cricket betting rackets were put to an end by the police. Regardless of these raids, it seems that cricket betting in India is more popular than ever.
Rise of Cricket Betting in India
The number of cricket betting sites that have entered the Indian market have increased by a considerable amount. While Bet365 and Betway were the first to enter the market, as of late many new entrants have come in with the promise of providing the best cricket betting experience in India. There are a few reasons that have led to this.
First, the level of internet penetration has increased in India. While a few decades ago only the elite could dream of having the internet in their homes, now more of the population is used to the wonders of wifi technology.
Second, the price of smartphones has been on the decline. While products from Apple and Samsung will always be priced to cater to the elite, several other manufacturers have thrown their hat into the smartphone ring. A wave of Chinese companies have started churning out affordable phones with features similar to that of their more expensive counterparts.
Lastly, the regulation of online gambling in territories such as the UK and Sweden have prompted companies to look elsewhere for bigger gains. While the more established brands have the resources to deal with the hassles of regulations, the smaller bookmakers have made a Beeline towards other geos in hopes of reaping the benefits of entering into a market early. One such market is India. Cricket betting sites understand the potential of this lucrative market and are offering products that are localised to the Indian customer.
More bookmakers is certainly a good thing for the Indian punter as it gives them choice. Bookmakers will routinely offer non deposit bonuses that will allow Indian customers to place bets without putting in their own money. This allows them to trial websites before committing to them. They can play around with the interface, banking methods and more importantly deduce if the site has the right games for them to bet on. Nothing can be worse than going through the entire registration process only to not find the games or matches you wanted to place bets on.
Rogue Cricket Betting Sites
However, there is a flip side to the influx of new bookmarkers coming into India. The potential of getting scammed by illegal bookmakers increases as well. Nowadays creating a new website is not as laborious as before and can be done within a reasonable budget. What is difficult is obtaining the relevant licenses and ensuring processes involving KYC, AML are being carried out routinely. The betting site also needs to provide a safe and secure environment for the punter to play in.
Licensed websites will use the latest in SSL encryption to keep your sensitive information safe. Therefore, when deciding on a betting site it is important that you check what type of license they have. Reputable license providers include MGA, UKGC and Malta. I strongly suggest that you not create an account on a website that is not licensed by either of these three.
Online gambling is here to stay in India. What is important is that you create an account on a site that is safe and secure and offers a good amount of bonuses. Also when placing bets you need to make sure that you only deposit as much as you can afford to lose.