How Cricket Fans Can Bet Legally and Smarter on Matches
In some countries, cricket is seen as a religion and you know we’re talking about India. In addition to this south east Asian country, cricket is popular across the globe to a lesser extent, but also quite loved sport. Australians, South Africans, Pakistanis and of course the Brits are all enamoured with it. In addition to pure love for the sport, many people love it for its exquisite betting markets.
While interesting, betting on cricket is not straightforward as one might think. You need to have your mind focused on both the betting strategy and the legal intricacies of betting on cricket all depending on the part of the world you live in, legal requirements, and the way you want to wager. Let us explain further.
Is Sports Betting Legal in Your Country?
First thing first: is sports betting legal where you live? If it’s not, you might be in peril if you decide to wager anyway. Gambling laws differ from country to country and you ought to be aware of that. The best example of this is India, where cricket is the most popular sport, and so is cricket betting. Yet, gambling is forbidden. Despite this, people still bet on this sport through offshore betting platforms, which is not strictly illegal but falls into the grey area of law. A better example is the UK, where you can bet legally as long as you do it in a casino that runs with a proper gambling license. So, sports betting is best done on a trusted platform, regulated by a valid license, and if possible, outside the black and gray markets.
Get to know Rules of The Game
In places where betting is legal, you can find many online and land based platforms that operate in the gambling sphere. While there can be more than a few of these platforms, not all of them operate under the same rules. You need to get to know the platform you plan to use on a frequent basis. Start by checking how their deposits and withdrawals work, which currencies they accept, and how fair they are with odds provided on events. Also, if you’re new to sports betting, you ought to use a platform that offers 24/7 customer support, as you never know when you’re going to need them. Lastly, ensure that the platform of your selection is generous with bonuses and promotions, and that it values customer loyalty.
Don’t Ignore Match-Fixing Risk
Cricket has had its fair share of controversies. Back in the day match fixing and spot fixing were frequent occurrences. Fortunately, both have been eradicated at the top level, but not entirely out of the sport. When there’s no World Cup or Indian Premier League to bet on, you will probably be looking for lesser competitions to bet on, and when you do this, anything can happen. So, look at the odds that are too good to be true. They usually are, so avoid these matches, and of course, do not look for inside tips from strangers on the web. Do your own research and do not think that there’s an easy path to success in cricket betting.
Start From the Scratch
This is the best advice we can give. As we already mentioned, cricket betting markets are quite rich. With so many options you could bite more than you can chew. This is why it is vital that you start from what you know, and at this point you shouldn’t be distracted by complicated cricket bets. Simple is the best-do the match winner first. When you get a hang on how win/lose betting goes, move onto betting on the top batsman/bowler. Betting on top performers is a nice way to bet on individual cricket results. After a while, you can bet on the number of total runs, and simple bets such as having to guess the toss winner. Cricket betting has plenty of complexities, but you should leave them for later, when you get a feeling for the types of bets we listed above.
Know The Format
Cricket has more than one format. You have Test cricket, ODI, and T20. They have plenty of similarities, but also quite a few differences. Test cricket has matches that can last up to 5 days. When you bet on Test cricket, weather, and pitch conditions matter a lot, and they should be the focus of your pre game research. ODIs on the other hand are one day events. In these matches momentum can be shifted by a single middle over. Look for team, and individual quality for these matches. T20 is the fastest form of cricket. Here, the matches shift trajectory by a single over. When betting on cricket you need to take the format into the equation. The strategy you used for ODIs might not apply too well to Test cricket.
Read The News
At the end of the day cricket is a sport of individual brilliance. Teamwork matters too, but it all comes down to the star power of the teams. This is why you need to take a look at the line-ups before the match starts. If a team is missing their star batsman, well that’s an issue. Also, weather, and pitch conditions are important too. You need to know whether the pitch favours bowlers or pitchers. Knowing which players love to play in the sun, and which favour clouds and moist weather can make all the difference too. Cricket is a popular sport, so all of this data is available for anyone to gather up. Just take a look at team websites, sports news outlets, cricket news apps, and pre match broadcasts.
Stats Over Gut Feelings
We love cricket, and so do you. Having favourite players and teams is all good and well but it can cloud the judgement. Plenty of us have wagered with our hearts and not minds, in crucial moments. When it was all said and done, the outcome was not desirable. It is always wise to use your brain instead of your heart. Trust the stats and not the guts. Everything you need to know before placing a bet is found in player form, their recent performances, head to head records between the teams, venue history, and toss results. You’d be surprised just how much of this data can be found on cricket websites such as Cricbuzz or ESPNcricinfo. Set a Budget and Stick to It
Betting is all fun and games, before you start losing more than you can afford. We’re all into wager on cricket or any other sport, but under reasonable limits. Create a bankroll, a daily, weekly, or monthly budget, and whether you win or lose, do not go over the set limit. To stay loyal to yourself and your bankroll, never chase losses, do not increase wager sizes based on gut feelings or simply feeling lucky, and take breaks between wagers. Covering every duel is not wise by any means.
Be Patient
For any type of wagering, patience is key. You will not hit on your every wager. Even expert bettors lose. Sports betting is a long term investment. Take it easy, one bet at a time. It is not a matter of just luck, but of skill, timing, and strategy. Entertainment comes first, but with patience, winning will come second, trust us.
