How to Deposit From India
Are you interested in betting on horses online in India? If you are a complete beginner in this field, you have come to the right place. This all-in-one article will give you a quick and easy lesson on all the basics of betting online and how to deposit from India.
Why Online Horse Betting?
Betting on horse races is fully legal in India. But there is just one problem – you can only do that by going to the racecourse venue. If you don’t reside in a city like Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, you cannot bet easily on Indian horse races.
This is where online betting sites like Bet365, Betway, Bodog, and Royal Panda come to the fore. They allow you to place bets on hundreds of live races from around the world, that too from the comfort of your home. It is just like doing your shopping from Amazon or Flipkart – no need to go out!
We have awarded Betway best betting site for Indian players in no small part for the fact that they accept Rupees directly which is something we really appreciate.
Which Other Sports Can You Bet Online?
Horse racing is certainly a popular option for customers of online betting sites around the world. But it is far from the most popular sport for betting. For instance, in the UK, football is a big part of the betting industry. We Indians of course, love cricket above all else.
The beauty of online betting is that there are no limits on the sports you can possibly place bets on. You can choose any available match in any sport, from all countries, leagues and competitions. IPL, English Premier League, Tennis tournaments, NFL, NBA, are all available!
What You Need to Get Started With Online Betting
To bet on horse races and other sports online, you need to visit the website of online bookmakers. These are established betting companies that give you a chance to place bets on many sports. Some of the best online betting brands that accept Indian players are Betway, Bet365, and Bodog.
To get started with online betting in India, you need the following basic things –
- PC/Laptop/Smartphone
This one is pretty self-explanatory. To visit the Web, you need a computer or mobile phone with internet access. The great thing with online betting these days is that you can do it on mobile phones without a computer.
- WiFi/4G Internet
Again, a no-brainer – you cannot visit a website or create an account online without internet access! Speed does not really matter, as this is not video streaming or online gaming. You can get by with even slower 3G networks.
- Bank Account/Credit Card/Debit Card
Placing bets on sports requires money – and you need ways to transfer it to the online betting website. There are many electronic payment options available in India at the moment – VISA credit cards, net banking, PayTM, etc are all common. Some of these may not work at betting sites, due to legal issues. In those situations, you can use electronic wallets like Skrill and Neteller – but they too require internet banking or credit/debit cards to work.
Choosing the Right Online Bookmaker
Picking the right service is incredibly important in any activity that involves money, and betting is all about money. So you have to be careful – do not go for unknown sportsbooks. There are plenty of options available online and not all of them are safe/legitimate.
To avoid frauds and crooks, you have to learn how to identify legit bookies. Look for the following features:
- The age of the site – the more famous sites that have been around for decades are safer than new sites
- Online reputation – check online reviews on google if you find a new name in online betting
- Reliable payment methods like VISA/Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller etc
- Support for a wide range of international currencies like US Dollars, Euros, and of course Indian Rupees as well
We recommend only the best and most reliable bookmakers for Indians online – Royal Panda, Bet365, Betway, Bookmakers are examples. They all accept Indians and our national currency. Your money is 100% safe with these online bookmakers.
Getting Started – Creating an Account
An online sportsbook is a service, just like a bank, a social media platform, or an e-commerce site. To avail of its services, you need to register and create an account in your name. You can have accounts at several websites, but you can have only one account at each.
The registration process is not that different from creating an account at Facebook, Amazon, or Google. The basic process is the same. To get started, visit the website from your smartphone or PC. For our example, we will look at Betway, a global sports betting brand based in the UK and Malta.
- Check their main website. It looks something like this on PC:
- You can see the green “Register” button on the top right corner. Click/tap it to create a new account.
- The next page will be a form that looks like this on most online bookmakers:
- Fill the three forms accurately and completely with your personal details, contact information, and other information
- To finish the process, you can select other details like preferred currency (INR), Language, and any betting limits you want to place in advance
- Then accept their terms and conditions, and click on the “Register” button
- Usually, the website will send a confirmation link to your email address – click on that link to finish the registration and get to the next exciting part!
Deposit from India into Your Sportsbook Account
To start placing bets on horse races and other matches, you need to have some money in your sportsbook balance. This balance is just like an Amazon Pay or PayTM balance – you can spend it on the site.
The actual process to deposit from India is quite simple. The website will have a clearly marked section/tab, called deposits or bank, or payments.
- Here is the login page of a Betway account. You can see the green “Bank” button clearly up top:
- Click on that button and you will get the option to place a cash deposit from India into your sportsbook account at Betway. It will look something like this:
- Select a payment method you can use, and make a payment online, just like you would do at any other shopping site. You can now start betting!
At most online sportsbooks, they will have a minimum limit to deposit from India – you have to deposit at least that amount. Many also offer exciting bonuses if you deposit certain amounts from India. Bonuses are extra money they add to your account, which you can use to place larger bets.
Placing Bets on Horse Racing Online
Once the money has reached the online account, you can head to the page for “Sports Betting” at Betway. In the long menu pane, look for Horse Racing and click it. The page will now display all the upcoming races where they accept bets, looking like this:
- In this example, the race we selected is the Will Rogers Downs – you can see each horse listed in the table with its details and betting odds.
- We will be placing a very simple bet – on one horse to win the race.
- We picked the second horse – Oklahoma City, by clicking on its odds of 5.5. The page will change to something like this:
- See that small box on the right – that is the bet slip. You can enter the amount you wish to bet on this horse in the space provided there. We entered $10.
- The slip will show you how much cash the bookmaker will pay you if your horse wins the race, like this:
- Just click on the green button to place your bet (if your account does not have enough money, the site will take you to the deposit from India page immediately to add funds).
There are many other types of bets you can place on a horse race, like picking the Race Winner, Quinella (top two finishers), Place (top three horses), Jackpot (winners in five different races), and many more. The available bets will be mentioned next to a race.
Just click on the race you want, select the type of bet, the horses you fancy, and the amount you want to bet. Everything is very easy, intuitive, and clearly marked out – no need to guess anything. Once you confirm the bet, it is placed.
If you win, the money is deposited in your sportsbook account. Subject to certain terms, you can request a withdrawal from this to your bank account.
Payment Options for Online Sports Betting in India
Due to current rules on online sports betting in India, you might face issues while trying to withdraw your prize money from offshore websites using net banking or credit cards.
For best results, you should use e-wallets like Skrill or Neteller. They are popular options for online casinos and sports betting customers across the world.
They work as a middleman between the sportsbook and your cash. Banks and credit card companies have no problem in sending money from your bank account to a Skrill or Neteller account.
And these companies are based in countries where online betting is legal – so they have no issues in transferring your money to a sports betting site when you ask.
Of course, this means that you have to open a separate e-wallet account for placing bets on horse racing. But it is a minor effort that will save you a lot of headaches when you have to withdraw your winnings.
