Sports betting has now become an important part of the Indian sports culture. Different sports leagues have come into existence in the past few years. The leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL), Pro Kabaddi League, and Indian Super League (ISL) have seen immense growth.
Sports betting is illegal across several Indian states. But betting enthusiasts have found a way to deal with the bans. It is because of the availability of online sports betting sites. Using these sites, you can bet on games while sitting in the comfort of your home.
Cricket is the most popular sport in India. Cricket betting has seen rapid growth ever since IPL has come into focus. To combat illegal sports betting, few Indian states like Karnataka have made online sports betting legal.
The bookmaker’s job is to accept bets and act as a link between the bettors and the game. They set the odds and payouts by adjusting them in a way that strikes a balance between people betting on a win or loss.
Sports Betting in India: A Review
Sports betting has seen massive popularity in India. According to recent data, more than 140 million Indians bet regularly. This number can go as high as 370 million bettors who bet during IPL. Not only does sports betting help people to earn extra money, but it is also a good pastime.
But it has its share of evils too. With the rise in sports betting websites across India, match-fixing has become a threat to the sport. There have been a few incidents in the past where match fixing and spot fixing have come to the light.
Sports Betting is alright, as long as the outcome of the game is not predetermined. If the results are fixed, then its integrity and charm among the fans are lost. Thus, the bookmakers need to ensure that they promote safe and responsible gambling practices.
Role of a Bookmaker
The role of a bookmaker is to take bets on the outcome of an event. In a physical world, bookies are people who have expertise in dealing with the betting odds and ensuring that the bet is fair. With the rise in online betting sites across India, different sports betting websites now act as bookmakers.
These online bookmakers offer decent discounts and bonuses. They also help bettors learn the concept of betting from the comfort of their homes. Bettors can bet on a variety of games that are popular in India, like Cricket, Football, Hockey, Kabaddi, etc.
Several leading bookmakers across the world have made their entry into the market. Some of the popular bookmakers who have a good fan base in India include:
- Dream11
- Betway
- Bet365
- MegaPari
- 22bet
How do Bookmakers ease Betting?
Bookmakers are the middlemen who earn money through a share of deposits that the bettors make. The share depends on the total deposits made during a bet. In the past, bettors had to depend on individual bookies who placed bets on behalf of the bettors.
But there are different hurdles that the traditional bookies face while placing their bets. In online betting, these hurdles are taken care of. The calculation of odds and effective distribution of payouts is a hectic task.
But with the introduction of online bookmakers, the calculation of odds and winnings has become easy. The online bookmakers use the latest tools that help them calculate the best possible odds and distribute the winnings. Besides, here is a list of a few things that the bookmakers do to make sports betting easy.
Marketing and Advertisement
Marketing and Advertising are something that all bookmakers aspire to do. They run ads and educate people about the odds that they offer. Also, they provide competitive bonuses and offers that help bettors find the best possible bookmaker for betting.
Customer Retention and Services
Attracting a customer is only one aspect of sports betting. Retaining those bettors is a tough task. To retain the existing bettors, the bookmakers run different retention schemes that include bonuses and other offers. This aspect makes it easy for bettors to make repeat bets.
Processing Payments
Sports betting is all about the movement of cash. People need to trust the bookmakers regarding their deposits and winnings. All the payment methods done by trustworthy platforms are secure and private. The withdrawals should be as easy as the deposits.
Regular Maintenance and Development
Sports betting is a 24*7 business. The website generates a lot of traffic throughout the day. Thus, it can break down at any time of the day. So, reliable websites have a maintenance team that looks after all the breakdowns and technical flaws on the website.
Conclusion
To conclude, we can say that sports betting has seen plenty of growth over the years in India. The leagues like IPL have made betting an important aspect of Indian sports culture. The bookmakers too have a role in improving the overall betting scenario of India.
More competitive leagues across the country are on the rise in different sports categories. It is the reason we are seeing more sports betting companies enter the country. Thus, with the growing digitalization, we can say that sports betting will continue to see a steep rise in the country.
