Asia
A Look at Indian Online Sports Betting Trends
Gambling has been a huge part of Indian culture for an extremely long time. There are many festivals that happen throughout the year, such as Diwali, where card games are enjoyed. In more recent years, sports betting has become a popular hobby that has led to plenty of match-fixing scandals as criminals try their best to beat the system. Overall, though, the majority play for fun on their mobile phone. In the following article, we are going to have a look at online sports betting trends in India.
Is Sports Betting Legal in India?
Like with many industries in India, the legality of the gambling industry is not clear cut, and it is expected that things will drastically change over the coming years. The government has history with making wrong decisions, so the people of India will be hoping that they will get this one correct. Whether they legalise gambling or not, they cannot stop it from happening, so regulating the gambling industry instead of prohibiting it would be the better option.
It really is about time that the government updated the public gambling act as it has been in use since 1867 when the British were in control of India. This act banned the construction of land-based casinos and gambling sites, but since the Internet was still over one hundred years away from being created, there is obviously no mention of online betting sites. So, while land-based bookmakers and casinos can only currently be found in states such as Sikkim and Goa, gambling at online casinos and sports betting sites is something that can be done across the country.
Online Sports Betting is on the Rise Across India
Despite the grey area, the online sports betting industry in India rakes in big bucks every single year. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that nowadays Indians are spending one-third of their time awake on the mobile phones. Most sports betting sites now have websites and apps that are very easy to use on smartphones, and many are happy to accept Indian sports betting fans because they can see how much potential for profit there is.
Indians can now simply sign up with a bookmaker that is based outside the country, download their app on to their mobile device and then gamble on their favourite sports wherever they happen to be, so long as they can connect to the Internet. There used to be a time where Indian sports betting fans would need to visit dodgy backstreet bookies if they wanted to bet on sports.
Cricket is the Country’s Favourite Sport
The main sport in India is cricket and Indians love to watch it, play it, and bet on it. Many often say that cricket is like a religion in India, and this really is not an exaggeration. Any cricketer that gets selected to play for India and goes on to have a stellar career will be treated like a God. One only has to look at the likes of Sachin Tendulkar to see this – he cannot go anywhere without having people screaming out to him and trying to touch him.
One of the world’s most popular cricket events is the Indian Premier League (IPL), and it is estimated that Indian cricket fans bet $50-60 million per match. The IPL features all of the best limited-overs players from around the world and they spend around 6 to 7 weeks entertaining hundreds of millions across India and the rest of the world.
When an IPL game is on, most of India stops what they are doing to watch the action. The 2021 IPL is scheduled to start on the 9th of April and finish on the 30th of May, and while there are no fans allowed inside the stadiums, it is still going to be a highly entertaining event and cricket fans cannot wait for it to start.
When it comes to cricket online betting in India the IPL draws the most money, but Indians love to bet on a variety of cricket, especially when the Indian national team is involved. If the Indian national team is not playing or the IPL has come and been, Indian cricket fans will have no issues betting on great cricket events that do not include their beloved team, such as The Ashes between England and Australia.
Due to the Covid-19 situation, a lot of cricket was postponed in 2020, meaning that there is a lot of catching up to be done. While this might be tiresome for the players involved, it is great for cricket fans across India and the rest of the world as there will be plenty of entertaining cricket to enjoy and bet on. We cannot forget that the Twenty20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in India in October and November of this year.
With all this cricket scheduled to be played, it is also going to be a great year for online sportsbooks as it stands to reason that the more cricket there is on, the more money will be bet on it. In fact, due to the overloaded schedule, there are many who believe that cricket betting is going to have its most lucrative year ever.
Horse Racing is Not Far Behind
Horse racing has been popular in India for centuries and is second only to cricket when it comes to betting. It is estimated that 35,000 crores are bet on horse racing each year and with one crore equaling around $140,000, we will let you work out the total amount. The fact that horse racing fans do not even have to leave their home now to bet on horse racing is something that has definitely helped increase the amount of money bet on this sport.
Football Betting is on the rise
Football is the most popular sport in the world, and it is gaining more popularity in India, although it still has some way to go to catch up with cricket and horse racing. When there are no cricket matches being played to watch and bet on, Indians will have no issue with turning their attention to the Indian Super League and some of the world’s best leagues such as the English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and the Serie A. They are also more willing to try their luck on South American and Chinese Leagues, which means that bookmakers that cater to Indians now have to embrace lesser leagues from around the world to keep their Indian contingent happy.
Asia
Team ATK Oshun excels at 2024 Online Championships held on 13 April 2024
Mind Sports South Africa’s (MSSA) 2024 Online Championships held on 13 April 2024 showed sterling results.
The championship was yet another chance for many esports athletes to qualify for MSSA’s National Team Trials to be held on 25 May 2024 at which the team will be selected to officially represent South Africa at the African Qualifiers which lead up to IESF’s 16th World Esports Championships to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in October and November 2024..
All Registered Players who have finished in the top three places, or the top 20% – whichever is greater, are entitled to enter trials.
However, it must be remembered that all players must have a valid passport to participate in the National Team Trials.
It was indeed exciting to watch just how much all the female teams have improved.
Team ATK Oshun (ATK Club Sport) being a female team astounded all with their skill and sportsmanship. The team demolished all ATK Club Sport opposition to ultimately won the premier event overall and qualify for the National Team trials to be held on 25 May 2025.
IESF’s 15th World Championships will be played to the following titles:
- Counter-Strike 2
- Counter-Strike 2 – Female division
- DotA 2
- eFootball
- Mobile Legends, Bang Bang
- Mobile Legends, Bang Bang – Female division
- PUBGM
The high standard of play saw 37 Registered Players from six provinces being awarded Provincial Colours. Only Limpopo, Free State, and Northern Cape did not have Registered Players who did not earn provincial colours.
Title | Name of player/team | Club | Provincial Colours awarded |
Clash Royale – Premier | Johan Coetzee | Middies | Mpumalanga |
Clash Royale – High School | Aryan Maharaj | PR0NHS | |
Counter Strike: 2 | ATK Oshun | ||
Kaylee Ludick | ATK Club Sport | Gauteng | |
Jessica Eleez Greeff | ATK Club Sport | Gauteng | |
Christin Brazier | ATK Club Sport | Gauteng | |
Megan van der Westhuizen | ATK Club Sport | Gauteng | |
Kayhla Rose Calder | ATK Club Sport | Gauteng | |
DotA – Premier | ZAG DOTA 1 | ||
Suhail Khan | ZAG Academy | Gauteng | |
Travis John Waters | ZAG Academy | Western Cape | |
Mark Kilian Lehle | ZAG Academy | Gauteng | |
Mohammad Dhooma | ZAG Academy | Eastern Cape | |
Nicholas Dammert | ZAG Academy | Gauteng | |
eFootball – Premier | Aslam Parker | PES Society | Gauteng |
FIFA 24 – High School | Daiyaan Hendricks | PES Society | Western Cape |
Mobile Legends – Premier
|
Mavericks | ||
Matthew Tatalias | Mavericks | Gauteng | |
Damian Bransby | Mavericks | Western Cape | |
Preshan Pillay | Mavericks | Gauteng | |
Mohammad Azhar Ansari | Mavericks | KwaZulu Natal | |
Taygan Gabriel | Mavericks | KwaZulu Natal | |
Luke Green | Mavericks | Western Cape | |
Mobile Legends – Premier – Female
|
AHG | ||
Je’nielle Cavanagh | PES Society | Western Cape | |
Inez Pringle | PES Society | Western Cape | |
Salma Parker | PES Society | Western Cape | |
Ra’isha Prout | PES Society | Western Cape | |
Fatimah Prout | PES Society | Western Cape | |
Mia Anthony | PES Society | Western Cape | |
PUBGM
|
Team uEnvy | ||
Richard Henry | ZAG Academy | Eastern Cape | |
La-eeq Arendse | ZAG Academy | Western Cape | |
Kyle Dudley | ZAG Academy | Western Cape | |
Clayton Leak | ZAG Academy | Western Cape | |
Rocket League – Premier – 1 v 1 – Premier | Nathan Strange | Hoërskool Klerksdorp | |
Rocket League – Premier – 1 v 1 – High School | Luther Peens | Hoërskool Klerksdorp | |
Street Fightter V – Premier | Marnus van der Merwe | Hoërskool Klerksdorp | North West |
Tekken 8 | Stasch Cloeta | Team PlayBell | Western Cape |
Valorant – Premier
|
TuksValorant | ||
Tapiwanashe Keith Matema | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Kyle Halvorsen | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Jaden Connor Swarts | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Ronald James Tyler Wheeldon | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Alejandro Luca Sartini-Kruger | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Armand Pierre van der Colf | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Sportsmanship Award | Je’nielle Cavanagh | PES Society |
Asia
PAGCor Welcomes Lawyer Wilma Eisma as New President and Chief Operating Officer
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCor) today welcomed its new President and Chief Operating Officer, lawyer Wilma Eisma, who took her oath of office before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin in Malacanang this morning.
“We are happy to welcome Atty. Wilma Eisma as PAGCor’s new President and Chief Operating Officer,” PAGCor Chairman Alejandro Tengco said. “We know she will be a great asset and her vast experience in both the government and private sectors will surely be put to good use here.”
Tengco said he witnessed Eisma’s oath-taking in Malacanang this morning. She then immediately joined her first PAGCor board meeting in the afternoon as the agency’s first ever woman President and Chief Operating Officer.
A lawyer by profession, Eisma earned her law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Development Bank of the Philippines before joining the state gaming firm.
Prior to that, she also served as the first woman Administrator and Chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
Her private sector stints include leadership roles in PMFTC Incorporated, the Philippine affiliate of Philip Morris International.
She also held key positions at the Department of Trade and Industry where she worked at the Office of the Secretary and in the Office of the Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, among others.
Eisma succeeded Atty Juanito Sanosa Jr who resigned as PAGCor President and Chief Operating Officer last January.
Asia
Maharashtra Government rewards state’s Asian Games 2022 Esports athletes with INR 10 lakhs; marks historic moment for Indian Esports
In a groundbreaking move, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services of the Government of Maharashtra has rewarded a significant amount of INR 10 lakhs to each Esports athlete of the state who represented India in the Asian Games 2022, held in Hangzhou. This marks a historic moment for Indian Esports, as it is the first time any state has included Esports alongside mainstream sports in prize money rewards for its state players in a major tournament. The recipients of this monetary reward include Darshan Bata, captain of the DOTA 2 team, along with his teammates Krish Gupta, Ketan Goyal, and Shubham Goli, as well as League of Legends athlete Samarth Trivedi.
Expressing his gratitude, Darshan Bata, the captain of the DOTA 2 team who hails from Mumbai, said, “I would like to express my sincere thanks to ESFI and the Maharashtra government for honoring us and recognizing and supporting Esports.”
Esports made its debut as a full-fledged medal event at the Asian Games 2022, where a total of 476 athletes from 30 different countries competed for gold medals across seven titles. India participated in four of these titles, including DOTA 2, EA Sports FC Online, League of Legends, and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.
“It has been a great experience at Asian games, I am grateful for the support I received from the Maharashtra government and I really appreciate the efforts ESFI has contributed to our journey,” stated Ketan Goyal of Pune who was a part of the DOTA 2 team at the Asian Games 2022.
The talented Indian contingent for the Asian Games was sent by Esports Federation of India (ESFI), who had organized open for all nationwide online qualifiers to select the best and most deserving athletes to compete for the nation at the tournament.
“Really happy to see that Esports is getting recognized and we are being aided by the government. Thank you for the support to Maharashtra Government and a big shoutout to ESFI for giving us this opportunity to represent India in the Asian games,” highlighted Krish Gupta of Pune, a member of the Indian DOTA 2 team.
The League of Legends team, in particular, achieved a historic fifth-place finish at the 19th Asian Games after competing against top-tier teams from around the continent.
“I am really grateful to the Maharashtra government for providing us with the financial support. It is amazing to see Esports being recognized by the Government. A huge shoutout to ESFI for giving us the opportunity and platform to compete at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou,” commented Samarth Trivedi of Thane who played a pivotal part in the country’s performance in League of Legends at the tournament.
Prior to the 19th Asian Games, India had also secured a remarkable bronze medal at the Commonwealth Esports Championships in DOTA 2, showcasing the country’s prowess in video gaming on the international stage.
“Thank you ESFI and team for all you support throughout Asian games 2022. We are really blessed and honored by Maharashtra Government for supporting Esports players and considering Esports in events like Commonwealth and Asian Games,” noted Shubham Goli, a resident of Pune who represented India at both the Commonwealth Esports Championships as well as the Asian Games 2022 in DOTA 2. The latest FICCI-EY report titled ‘#Reinvent: India’s media & entertainment sector is innovating for the future, India is expected to have 20 international teams by 2024.
The Maharashtra government’s recognition and support of Esports signals a significant milestone in the journey towards mainstream acceptance of competitive gaming as a legitimate sport in the country.
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