In this article, we will discuss some of the most significant statistics and facts about the Indian online betting industry.
Overview of Online Betting in India
In India, the online betting industry is exploding.
Despite legal obstacles, online betting is a hugely popular and widespread activity in India.
The exact size and scope of India’s online betting industry are difficult to determine at the moment, owing to the absence of any government regulator or oversight agency.
However, all indications indicate that online betting is a widespread and popular activity throughout the country – and the market is estimated to be growing at a mind-boggling 20% per year, fueled by increased internet access and higher disposable incomes across all socioeconomic strata.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the most important facts and figures about the online betting industry in India, in order to give you a better sense of the industry’s scope.
DISCLAIMER
All information in this article is based on data gathered from Indian betting sites, as well as our own website user statistics and general research.
INDIA’S ONLINE BETTING INDUSTRY: IMPORTANT STATISTICS
- India’s population of regular gamblers is 140 million.
- 370 million people in India bet on major events.
- In India, there are a total of 37 online betting sites.
- Bet365 is the most popular betting site in India.
- The most popular form of online betting in India is cricket betting.
- In India, the most popular betting deposit methods are UPI, Paytm, and PhonePe.
- Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra are the most popular states for online betting.
PROFILING THE INDIAN ONLINE BETTOR
Let’s take a closer look at the people who gamble in India: their age, gender, and location.
GENDER-SPECIFIC ONLINE BETTING
Men account for an astounding 88.4 percent of online bettors in India. Only 11.6 percent are female.
Even before we began researching this subject, we suspected that men would outnumber women in the statistics – but we didn’t anticipate the disparity to be so large!
BETTING ONLINE BY AGE
According to our research, young people are significantly more likely to wager online than older adults.
44.6 percent of all Indian bettors are between the ages of 18 and 24.
32.5 percent are aged 25 to 34.
As a result, the vast majority of online bettors are younger.
This makes sense, given the older generation’s proclivity for conservatism. Additionally, they are not as technologically savvy as the younger generation.
ONLINE BETTING BY LOCATION
Online betting is a popular activity in India. However, online gambling is primarily concentrated in large urban areas such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore.
Additionally, we have observed a decrease in online betting in the northern and eastern states, which are more conservative. In comparison, people in the southern and central Indian states are generally more liberal.
The top three Indian states for online gambling are as follows:
- State of Telangana (18.7 percent )
- Karnataka State (13.2 percent )
- State of Maharashtra (9.6 percent )
Online betting is most popular in India’s south-central states.
Interesting fact: According to the Bombay Wager Act, online gambling is prohibited in the state of Maharashtra.
Despite these restrictions, Maharashtra is estimated to account for nearly 10% of all Indian bettors.
WHICH SPORT IS THE MOST POPULAR FOR BETTING IN INDIA?
It’s unsurprising that cricket is the most popular sport for betting in India.
We can confirm this here at Ibebet, as our traffic volume increases tenfold during major cricket tournaments, most notably the IPL.
Horse racing, football, and field hockey are also popular sports.
India’s most popular betting sites
The following are the most popular online betting sites in India:
These online betting sites have grown in popularity as a result of their focus on Indian players.
They accomplish this in part by accepting deposits in Indian Rupees via popular Indian payment methods (UPI, PhonePe, NetBanking).
IN INDIA, HOW MANY PEOPLE BET?
The short answer is that we have no idea.
At the moment, there is no organization or entity in India that keeps track of the number of online bettors.
However, we can estimate this figure by examining the number of people who use search engines such as Google to look up betting-related terms. These figures are available to the public.
For instance, the term “Bet365” receives approximately 15 lakh monthly searches. That is only one betting site. People search for dozens of different betting sites and terms.
As a result, we can reasonably assume that each month, millions of new players enter the world of online betting in India.
Why is Indian online betting so popular?
The popularity of online betting in India is frequently attributed to the fact that physical gambling establishments and casinos are prohibited in the country, leaving online betting establishments as the only venues available for Indian bettors to wager on sports or other events.
Why is online gambling exploding in popularity in India?
Numerous significant factors have contributed to the growth of online betting in India.
According to a recent study conducted by Deloitte India, the primary factors driving the growth of online betting in India are increased access to high-speed internet, increased access to smartphone devices, and an overall increase in disposable income among the Indian population.
IN INDIA, HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THE ONLINE BETTING BUSINESS?
The Indian gambling market is estimated to generate annual revenue of approximately US$60 billion.
Nota Bene: This figure is an estimate; at the moment, no government or other entity is accurately tracking the size of the Indian gambling market.
What does the future of online gambling in India look like?
The future of online betting in India is very uncertain at the moment.
Although there have been some indications that the government desired to regulate online betting on a national level, it appears that the motivation to carry out the necessary political legwork for such a massive operation has been lacking.
At the moment, the best we can hope for is that younger generations with a more liberal attitude toward online betting will eventually persuade the government to legalize and regulate online betting.
If the government recognizes the emergence of a sizable base of voters supportive of online betting regulation, we could see some action in this area very quickly. But for now, a big part of the population remains very conservative about the topic.
