Top 10 Betting Apps in India

Gambling has been part of Indian culture for centuries, with some of the earliest references appearing in ancient texts such as the Rigveda and Mahabharata. But the foundations of India's modern gambling laws date back to British rule and the Public Gambling Act of 1867, which was mainly designed to deal with public gambling and common gaming houses.

After independence, gambling became a state-level matter. Some states continued to use or adapt the 1867 Act, while others introduced their own laws, leading to different rules from one state to another.

The distinction between games of skill and games of chance also became an important part of Indian gambling law. The 1867 Act itself excluded games of "mere skill", but in practice, the line between skill and chance was not always clear. That left plenty of room for disagreement over which games should actually be treated as gambling. 

That uncertainty became even more of an issue once betting moved online. international betting sites started accepting Indian players, often operating in a legal grey area that the old laws had never been designed to deal with.

By the mid-2020s, it was clear that the existing framework was struggling to keep up with the growth of online betting. In 2025, the Indian government responded with the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, introducing a new nationwide approach to online gaming.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, together with the Online Gaming Rules, 2026, created a new national framework for online gaming in India. The Rules came into force on 1 May 2026.

Key points:

• Online money games are prohibited. This includes sports betting and other games where players stake money in the hope of winning more.
• The rules also cover offshore operators. A betting site doesn't fall outside the framework simply because it is based abroad if it offers its services to Indian users.
• The law mainly focuses on operators and the businesses around them. This includes betting companies, advertisers, promoters, and payment providers involved in offering or supporting online money games.
• Payments can be blocked or restricted. Banks and payment services are not supposed to process transactions linked to online money games, although some offshore betting sites still offer local payment methods to Indian players.
• Players are considered victims, not offenders. The Act does not create a specific offence simply for registering with a betting site and placing an online bet.
• The Online Gaming Authority of India now oversees the sector, including the classification of games and enforcement of the new rules.
• Not all online gaming is banned. Esports and certain social games can still be allowed under the new framework.

The new approach has also faced strong criticism from parts of the gaming industry. Some industry associations argue that regulation and stronger responsible gambling measures would have been more effective than a blanket ban, warning that tighter restrictions could push more players towards unregulated offshore betting sites.

If we had to pick one bookmaker that does most things well, 1xBet would be our choice. It offers one of the biggest selections of sports and markets we've come across, covering everything from major cricket tournaments to smaller football leagues and esports. The odds were competitive across the events we checked, and there's plenty of choice for live betting too.

1xBet also has one of the widest ranges of payment methods we've seen, including UPI, e-wallets, and crypto. Payments worked smoothly in our tests, and e-wallet withdrawals took less than 15 minutes.

The site can feel a little overwhelming at first, but that's partly the trade-off for having so many sports, markets, and promos in one place.

Rajabets is a good choice if you don't want to deposit much to get started. It accepts UPI deposits from just ₹150, which is lower than the minimum at other betting sites we've looked at.

Cricket is another reason to consider Rajabets. There's a good selection of markets covering major tournaments and smaller matches, along with regular cricket-specific promotions. These include combo boosts, free bets, and the daily Wheel of Fortune, which gives players another chance to pick up rewards.

The main drawback is the lack of a native iOS app, although the website is well optimised for mobile and works smoothly on iPhones, so it's not a major inconvenience.

4rabet was one of the best cricket bookmakers we tested, particularly when it came to odds. In our latest checks, we calculated an average cricket margin of just 1.50%, which was among the lowest we found. Lower margins generally mean better odds, so this is a real advantage if you regularly bet on cricket.

There's also a ₹300 free bet for new users, a Level Up loyalty programme for regular players, and a Bets Feed where you can see what others are betting on. 

Customer support is one area that could be better, though, with some reviewers reporting unhelpful responses when trying to resolve problems.

BC.Game is a good fit if you prefer betting with crypto. It supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies and lets you trade crypto directly on the platform. There's also a large casino section with original games, making it a good option if you enjoy both sports betting and casino games.

There are some interesting extras too, including a Bet Feed that shows what other players are betting on, rewards for completing simple tasks, and a Deposit Guarantee. 

The main downside is that promotions often come with complicated wagering requirements, so it's important to read the terms carefully before claiming any offers.

Puntit is one of the newer betting sites in India, and it’s off to a strong start. The site looks great, is easy to get around, and doesn't feel as cluttered as some of the bigger bookmakers. It also has a few fun features, including Lucky Dip, which gives you a randomly selected bet, along with Enhanced Accas and Bet Boosts.

We were also impressed with its UPI payments. Every deposit we made arrived within a couple of minutes, making it one of the smoothest payment experiences we had. 

The main drawback is that Puntit hasn't been around as long as some of the other bookmakers on our list, so there's less of a track record to judge it by.

Not every betting app in India offers the same cricket odds, even on the same match. We compared prices across several cricket markets to find out which betting sites offered the highest payouts. Three stood out in our sample:

• 4rabet – 98.50% payout
• BC.Game – 97.73% payout
• Dafabet – 96.45% payout

Having more markets means more ways to bet on a match, whether you're interested in the final result, total runs, or individual player performances.

• Parimatch had one of the biggest selections we found, with more than 770 cricket markets for popular fixtures.
• 1xBet, Megapari, Betwinner, 22Bet each offered over 600 markets for popular cricket fixtures.

Beyond the usual betting markets, a few betting apps in India offer additional features that cricket bettors may find useful.

• Dafabet has a betting exchange where odds are determined by users placing bets against each other.
• Stake, BC.Game, Parimatch, and 4rabet feature live bet feeds, allowing you to see what other users are betting on in real time.
• BC.Game, Rajabets, and 4rabet provide cricket tips, previews, and match analysis to help users explore upcoming fixtures.

Cricket fans can also find dedicated promotions on some betting sites, especially around major tournaments. We found several types of offers:

• Cricket Free Bets: 1xBet, Rajabets, Crorebet, BetVibe, Megapari
• Cricket Odds Boosts: Puntit, BetVibe
• Cricket Cashbacks: BetVibe, Megapari, Parimatch, Dafabet
• Tournaments, Draws, Prize Pools: BC.Game, Rajabets, BetVibe, Parimatch, BC.Game, BateryBet, Dafabet, Stake

If you're looking for an Indian betting site that offers an enormous selection of football betting markets, 1xBet is the best option with over 1,000 markets per match.

And if you're interested in discovering even more options, be sure to check out 22Bet, Parimatch, and 4Rabet.

Stake, 1xBet, and 22Bet offer a broad range of football promotions, including free bets, cashbacks, and more, making them the best options if you're looking for an Indian betting site with plenty of promotions for existing users.

For the best football odds in India, check out 1xBet, which offers a payout rate of over 98% on a variety of football matches, giving you a better chance of making a profit.

Parimatch, 1xBet, 22Bet, and 10Cric are excellent choices if you want to bet on live football matches. These sites offer live streaming, visual tracking, and detailed statistics, which can help you make more informed betting decisions. Plus, 1xBet and 22Bet offer live accumulator of the day recommendations.

If you're looking for betting sites that offer accumulator recommendations, you should check out Parimatch, 1xBet, and 22Bet which offer accumulator of the day and live accumulator of the day recommendations. Fun88 takes it a step further with a customisable Parlay Generator tool.

Fun88, 10Cric, and Parimatch are some of our favourite betting sites in India that regularly offer football free bets.