Why is Cricket Betting in India So Popular?
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In a country where sport dominates the cultural landscape, there’s no disputing that cricket reigns supreme across India, who consequently have become the driving force behind the growing reach and enviable health of the sport globally.
Given the unparalleled popularity of cricket in all corners of the subcontinent, it was only inevitable that cricket bookies in India would experience a similar wave of growth as sports betting became increasingly accessible to Indian bettors.
Cricket’s Cultural Significance in India
It’s not unheard of for babies to be named after beloved cricket icons nowadays, and from an early age a love of cricket is drummed into schoolboys and girls alike, with the quality and quantity school cricket competitions in India simply unrivalled.
Cricket, much like football and hockey, is a sport that requires very little equipment or space to be played on the streets and alleys of local neighbourhoods in India’s dozens of bustling metropolises.
It is a game that transcends religious, ethnic and cultural differences not only across India’s vastly diverse nation but was also an effective way of bonding with neighbouring countries in the post-colonial era.
One only needs to look at the list of most followed social media accounts - such as Test captain Virat Kohli, who has three times as many Instagram followers as popular Prime Minister Narendra Modi - to understand the inescapable public profile that international cricketers now hold in Indian culture.
The Rise of Online Betting Platforms
With a deep and ingrained love of cricket comes an obsessive will to understand, analyse and discuss everything about the sport both publicly and privately.
Fans of all sports love to gaze into the future and make predictions, whether bold or conservative, and Indian cricket is certainly no exception, with social media alight with discourse and debate about team selections, individual performances and the state of the national side as a whole.
Online betting platforms and fantasy games give fans the opportunity to put their knowledge and foresight to the test by staking money on all kinds of outcomes imaginable from match winners to correctly predicting the Player of the Match, or the top run scorer of a game.
Best of all, online betting is incredibly convenient and is accessible anywhere with an internet connection, allowing you to participate from within the comforts of your own home or even whilst watching at the stadium!
Popularity of Major Cricket Tournaments
Online cricket betting continues to go from strength to strength in India and it is estimated that the 2023 ICC World Cup will attract the most wagering globally of any cricket event in history.
The International Centre for Sports Security valued the worth of the sports betting industry in India at more than USD130 billion - and that doesn’t begin to include the vast underground and illegal operations that are around the country.
The successes of popular cricket tournaments such as the Indian Premier League and ICC World Cups in both formats have helped cricket betting globally explode in popularity, so much so that it’s a rarity to see any cricket on television now without some kind of gambling advertising on a kit or at the stadium.
As a consequence of the intense competition in the online betting space, Indian bettors are being rewarded with great offers, fascinating markets to bet on, and more competitive odds than ever before.
Cricket Betting Strategies
Readers of ours that are new to sports betting absolutely must read our educational piece on ‘back and lay betting’ to help them on their way to becoming a successful bettor.
There is of course no silver bullet and no guaranteed method of winning when it comes to online cricket betting, but sports betting in general has some key fundamentals that can be the difference between success and failure.
Above all else, discipline is key to success. No bettor will win in the long term without a sound bankroll management strategy and the mental restraint required to control it.
Understanding how market percentages work is another important strategy for how to be successful at online betting. Those who chase high returns with high risk betting such as ‘Player of the Match’ markets or constantly taking on ‘accumulator bets’ may get the occasional sugar hit, but long term will end up suffering.
Always Gamble Responsibly
Set yourself a budget - whether it be weekly or monthly - and stick to it under all circumstances. Many online betting will allow you to limit how much you can deposit within a certain timeframe to assist bettors in keeping their spending in check, and this cannot be recommended highly enough.
Under no circumstances must bettors play beyond their means, particularly in an attempt to recover their losses. Do not be afraid to go to bed having incurred reasonable losses and you will be able to have a healthy relationship with sports betting.
Online betting should be a fun recreation and should not be viewed as a secondary form of income, nor is it for you if losing severely affects your mental state.
If gambling begins to impact your ability to pay for essential goods, interferes with your work, family and/or social life, or you find yourself turning to loans and/or crime to fund gambling habits, seek professional help immediately and do not delay. There are a wealth of resources to help with all kinds of addictions including gambling.
In Conclusion…
With countless online betting platforms exploding onto the scene in India and all attempting to compete with one another in a booming sector, there has hardly been a better time to further your interest in cricket betting.
Play within your means, minimise your risk as much as possible, and be prepared to lose. Those of you who play cricket competitively would know it is a sport where individual failures (be it with bat or ball) come more often than successes, and sports betting is no different.
But just like playing, that does not mean it cannot enrich your life with long lasting entertainment and excitement. There are few better feelings than using your intimate knowledge and understanding of the game to make money, particularly when you’re successfully backing your favourite teams and players!
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