Online betting is a relatively recent phenomenon in India. In many countries, it has been going on for over two decades. But with the popularity of the online industry growing by leaps and bounds, many world class online bookmakers are making a beeline for India for a piece of the lucrative online betting market in a country with a population of over one billion.
Online Betting Sites
The first step in your online betting adventure is to choose an appropriate online sports betting site from a rich array of available choices in the form of reputable sportsbooks. These bookies aim to serve your needs as you seek to wager on sports and other events, or even if you want to play casino games.
How to Bet on Sports Online?
By following our sports betting tips, you will learn to bet on sports online. Let’s start with a few simple steps:
- Find a suitable online sports betting site: You can read the reviews of sports betting sites on this website to find one that suits your style and needs.
- Register at the site of your choice: To create a sportsbook account, you will have to furnish accurate personal information.
- Make your first deposit: After you have successfully registered, the site will log you in automatically, and ask you to deposit money into your account. Use a proven safe method to make your first deposit.
- Qualify for the welcome bonus: As a new player you would usually qualify for a bonus as specified at the site. Fulfil the terms and conditions needed to claim it.
- Place online bets: Once you have deposited money into your account, you are ready to place your first bet. You can even download betting apps from the sites of your choice to make it even easier.
- Withdraw the money you have won: If you have won a bet, you would want to withdraw the winnings. You can withdraw money, using the same route you used to deposit money.
- Complete KYC: Before you can cash out on winnings, you will have to verify your identity with appropriate documentation as well as a utility bill.

Welcome Offers for New Users
In a super competitive online betting industry, the best betting sites offer great deals you can try out. Regardless of whether you are betting on cricket or tennis or football, you can choose from a range of welcome bonuses on offer. Here, we list the most popular types of welcome bonuses used for online sportsbooks:
- Free Bets: Bookies use this common type of welcome bonus that calls for a bet of a specified amount. The value of the bonus bet differs from one operator to another. In some sites, you must make a single bet for the specified value; in others, you can make several smaller bets equally that value.
- Enhanced Odds: Some sites offer enhanced odds as welcome bonuses to attract new players.
- Matched Bonuses: New players are rewarded for making an initial deposit with free cash equal to a proportion of the deposit, ranging from 25% to even as high as 200%. Usually, there will be a limit, such as “up to 8000INR”, for example.
How to Choose a Welcome Bonus
Before you claim a welcome bonus, make sure you know what you are signing up for by reading the terms and conditions:
- Qualifying Terms and Conditions: These usually require you to make a minimum deposit or place a bet of a specified value.
- Minimum Odds: The qualifying bet you make must have certain minimum quoted odds which could mean that you may not be able to bet on your favourite market.
- Betting Requirements: You may be required to bet your initial deposit plus bonus amount a certain number of times in order to claim the welcome bonus.
- Time Limits: You will have to meet the betting requirement within a time period, such as 30 days from the date of registration.
- Market Restrictions: Some sites allow you to use the bonus bet only on certain markets, such as in-play or outright win, or on certain sports.
Final Checklist to Claim the Welcome Bonus:
- Compare bonuses offered by various online betting sites
- Read and understand the small print of the terms and conditions
- Register at the chosen site
- Deposit the initial amount and claim the bonus
Other Promotions
There are various other types of bonuses offered by betting sites. We list some of them here:
- Accumulator Bonus Protection: You may want to combine multiple bets into an accumulator (acca). Under this promotion, you can get an additional bonus if your accumulator wins.
- Acca Insurance Promo: Commonly used in football betting online, under this promotion, you can get a refund on your bet if only one bet in your accumulator fails.
- Best Odds Guaranteed: Under this promotion, you can get the best odds offered on an event, regardless of what the odds were at the time you placed your bet.
- Competition: This type of promotion is offered by the best online betting sites. If you win a bet under a competition offer, you could get a fabulous reward, such as a trip to a world event or a big cash prize.
- Enhanced odds promotion: Under this promotion, a bookie may offer enhanced odds on special bets or accumulators as an additional incentive to bet.
- Existing customer promo: This is a loyalty bonus to reward regular customers and usually takes the form of a risk-free bet or a free wager on a sporting event.
- Free Bet promotion: This is the offer of additional funds to bet on your favourite events.
- Money-back promo: Commonly used in betting on horse racing, this is a money back offer you can avail if you lose a bet, either as a bonus or as a free bet.
- Reload Promotion: This is a type of bonus to welcome you back if you have stopped betting at a site. This is usually in the form of a risk-free bet or a free bet.
Online Sports Betting Strategy
It is important to have an online betting strategy. While some people have made money from betting, you cannot take winnings for granted. In order to have a nice experience while betting online, you would need a certain skill. However, let’s not forget that the element of luck is not to be overlooked either.

In this article, we give you a few strategic tips which might be helpful:
- Know the sport: Do not bet on an event unless you have good knowledge about it. Even if you know a lot, there is no guarantee that you will win.
- Seek the best online betting odds: Look for competitive odds offered and don’t forget about the operator’s bonuses.
- Limit betting selections: You can improve your chances of making money by limiting your sports selections.
- Don’t give in to temptation: A promise of high returns can tempt you to gamble away a lot of your money.
- Listen to your mind: Let rational thought – not emotion — rule your online betting decisions.
Caution: There is no “one size fits all” strategy. Every bettor must craft a strategy that suits his/her online betting style. Finding a suitable online sports betting operator is always the most important step. Read our sportsbook reviews to find the right one that suits your style.
Online Betting F.A.Q.
For the end, we look at some of the most frequently asked questions about sports betting online and try to provide answers:
As an Indian bettor, you must seek positive answers to some important questions before you choose a suitable online betting site:
Does the site allow Indian players to bet? Does the site accept INR? Does it have betting apps you can download on your phone? Does the site offer a bilingual version? What sports are offered? Does the site facilitate betting on cricket? What range of markets does it offer for in-play betting? What are the online betting odds offered? Is it easy to deposit and withdraw funds? Is your data safe?
Live betting allows you to bet on an in-game outcome while the game is being played. For instance, in a cricket match, you could bet on how many runs will be scored in a current over, or how many wickets a bowler will take. Thus, live betting can make even a boring match exciting.
It is important to choose one of the best online betting sites available in the market. Only the best betting sites will satisfy all the basic requirements you are looking for and more. (See the considerations discussed earlier about what you should look for when you choose online bookmakers.) And if you ever have a doubt as to how to bet on sports at your chosen site, you can always check our sports betting tips as well as our reviews of sportsbooks.