Cricket betting means staking money on the result of a cricket match or on something that happens during it, such as the number of runs in an over or the top scorer. It is one of the largest forms of sports betting in the world because cricket has a huge following in South Asia, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Caribbean. This guide explains how cricket betting works, what the law says, why match fixing has hurt the sport and how tipster sites trap fans. It does not recommend or link to any betting site.
This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Betting law differs by country and, in some countries, by state.
Table of Contents
How Cricket Betting Works
A bookmaker offers a price, called odds, on each possible outcome. If the outcome happens, the bettor gets the stake back plus winnings. If it does not, the bookmaker keeps the stake.
Common types of cricket bets include:
- Match result. Which team wins, or whether a Test ends in a draw.
- Top batter or bowler. Who scores the most runs or takes the most wickets.
- Session or over bets. How many runs come in a set number of overs.
- Live or in play bets. Bets placed while the match is going on, with odds changing ball by ball.
In play betting moves very quickly. Prices change after every delivery, which encourages fast decisions and repeated bets. Small events inside a match, such as a single no ball, are also the kind of thing corrupt gangs have tried to fix, as explained below.
Why Cricket Draws So Much Betting
Few sports offer as many moments to bet on as cricket. A Test match can last five days, a one day international runs for about eight hours, and even a short T20 game has 240 legal deliveries. Each ball is a small event with an outcome. Franchise leagues in India, Australia, England, the Caribbean and elsewhere now fill most of the calendar, so there is almost always a match being played somewhere. Huge television and streaming audiences add to the pull, and so do fantasy apps that blur the line between following a game and staking money on it.
Reading Odds Without the Hype
Most sites show decimal odds. Odds of 2.50 mean a winning bet of 100 returns 250 in total, including the original 100. The odds also hint at how likely the bookmaker thinks something is. Divide 1 by the odds and you get the implied chance: 1 divided by 2.50 is 0.40, or 40 percent.
Here is the catch. If you add up the implied chances of every outcome in a match, the total is always more than 100 percent. A two team match might be priced at 1.90 for each side. Each price implies about 52.6 percent, so the two add up to about 105 percent. That extra five percent is the bookmaker’s margin. It means that even a bettor who guesses as well as the bookmaker will lose money over time.
Is Cricket Betting Legal in India?
India has never had a general licence system for sports betting. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 bans running public gaming houses, and gambling is a state subject, so each state writes its own rules. A few places, such as Goa, Daman and Sikkim, allow casinos, and horse racing has long been treated differently. Betting on cricket has not been legal across the country.
Online betting is now clearly covered by central law. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026. It bans all online money games, including sports betting and fantasy contests played for cash, and it bans advertising them and processing payments for them. The ban was felt sharply during IPL 2026, when cash contests that once ran heavy television adverts went quiet. Challenges to the law are before the Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear the case in full, but there is no ruling yet.
The idea of regulating betting rather than banning it has come up before. The Lodha Committee, set up after the 2013 IPL scandal, suggested that betting could be legalised under strict controls. The Law Commission of India’s Report No. 276 in 2018 also studied the question and said that if betting were not banned, it should be tightly regulated. Parliament chose a ban for online money games instead.
Cricket Betting Rules in Other Countries
In the United Kingdom, betting on cricket is legal, but only through companies licensed by the Gambling Commission. In Australia, licensed bookmakers may take sports bets, though online casino games are banned. In the United States, sports betting is legal in 39 states and Washington DC through state licensed operators, and cricket markets are a small but growing niche. In each place, betting with a firm that has no local licence leaves you without the protections those rules provide.
Match Fixing and Why It Matters
Cricket has a long history of corruption linked to illegal betting. In 2000, South African captain Hansie Cronje admitted taking money from bookmakers, a case that shook the game and led the International Cricket Council to set up its Anti Corruption Unit.
India faced its own scandal in 2013. Delhi Police arrested three Rajasthan Royals players in May that year over spot fixing, which means agreeing to make a small event happen, such as bowling a certain number of runs in an over. The inquiry spread to team officials. In July 2015 a panel headed by former Chief Justice R. M. Lodha suspended Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for two seasons. Our post on the Lodha verdict and the 2013 IPL scandal tells the full story.
Fixing works because illegal betting markets are huge and hard to watch. Every rupee or pound placed with an unlicensed bookmaker helps keep those markets alive.
Tipster Sites, Prediction Groups and Scams
The old version of this page linked to websites that sell or give away cricket betting tips. Such sites are common, and they share a few patterns:
- They promise “sure” or “fixed” match results, which no honest source can offer.
- They ask for a fee to join a premium group on a messaging app.
- They earn commission when you sign up to a betting site through their link.
- They show screenshots of wins but never a full record of losses.
If a stranger claims to know a result before a match, either they are lying or they are part of something criminal. In India, scams can be reported on the cybercrime helpline, 1930.
Risks of Betting on Cricket
Cricket matches are long and frequent. A single day can include several international and franchise games, which means there is always something to bet on. That steady flow makes it easy to chase losses. Other risks include losing money to offshore sites that refuse withdrawals, sharing bank and identity details with unlicensed firms, and legal trouble in places where betting is banned.
Warning signs of a gambling problem include betting more to win back losses, borrowing money to bet, lying to family and feeling anxious on days without a match.
Where to Get Help
- United Kingdom: GamCare, 0808 8020 133.
- United States: 1 800 GAMBLER.
- Australia: Gambling Help Online, 1800 858 858.
- India: Tele MANAS, 14416, for mental health support.
- Worldwide: Gamblers Anonymous meetings.
Cricket is best enjoyed as a sport. Our look at the history of cricket in India and our piece on IPL 2026 fever are good reads for fans. For the wider legal picture on gambling, see our guide to online betting and casino laws.
If you follow cricket on social media, expect to see betting adverts disguised as fan pages or prediction posts. Treat them with care.
Players and officials are trained to report any approach from people asking for inside information, and fans can help by reporting suspicious offers.
The simplest rule is that if a betting offer looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
What We Changed From the Old Post
The old post recommended four betting websites, described their bonuses and linked to two cricket tips sites. We removed every site name, recommendation and gambling link. The new version explains how cricket betting works, how odds and margins favour the bookmaker, the law in India after May 2026 and in other countries, the history of match fixing, common tipster scams and where to find help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is online cricket betting legal in India?
No. Since 1 May 2026 all online money games, including cricket betting, are banned in India, as are their adverts and payments.
Can anyone predict cricket results for sure?
No. Anyone who sells “sure” results is running a scam or is linked to fixing.
What is spot fixing?
Spot fixing means arranging for a small event in a match to happen, such as a no ball or a set number of runs, so that someone can profit from bets on it.
Where is cricket betting legal?
It is legal through licensed firms in places such as the United Kingdom, Australia and many US states. Check your own local law.