11 minutes to read
Digital creator specializing in iGaming
India's iGaming market is rapidly evolving, with projected revenues of $1.9 billion by 2024 and $2.58 billion by 2028. Although operators face challenges such as high taxation and varying state-specific laws, the appeal of this growing market is impossible to overlook. Many operators are actively developing strategies for market entry, especially as more Indian states consider legalizing the sports betting business.
In this article, we share sportsbook business ideas as well as key insights from our recent webinar focused on enhancing player lifetime value in India. We outline 5 actionable strategies to attract and retain players, optimize sportsbook operations, and personalize betting odds. Additionally, we discuss how to utilize proprietary feeds for accurate data, improve the player experience through gamification, and increase retention rates by up to 80%.
📺 If you prefer video, watch the full version of the webinar
If you want to make it big in India, there are a few things you just can’t ignore. Here’s what you need to know before the first bet even lands.
The unique nature of the Indian market becomes especially clear when compared with other regions. For instance, in North America, only 50% of online traffic is mobile, while in South America, it’s slightly higher at 59%, and Europe sits at 54%.
By contrast, India stands out as a truly mobile-first nation: over 77% of all online betting in India comes from mobile devices, and that number jumps to a staggering 95% in the online sports betting business. If you are an operator, this means that optimizing the user experience (UX) for mobile is essential for success.
India is definitely all about mobile when it comes to betting, with over 95% of revenue coming from mobile devices. Making the user experience on mobile sharp is super important for boosting revenue, but a lot of sportsbook providers are still not keeping up in this area.
Online sports betting in India must focus on delivering a seamless mobile user experience that performs well even in areas with inconsistent internet speeds. A lightweight platform that loads quickly and operates smoothly under various network conditions is essential, especially given the patchy connectivity in certain parts of India.
Intuitive navigation is also key. Mobile platforms should feature clear layouts and easy-to-use menus, ensuring users can quickly place bets, even on smaller screens. Optimizing for touch interactions, such as sizing buttons for easy tapping and ensuring smooth scrolling, further enhances the user experience.
We’ve developed a lightweight frontend solution for markets with poor internet connectivity, like some regions in India. It’s not just about creating a solution; it’s about having the experience and expertise to implement it effectively.
Cricket is the real heart of the betting business in India. It dominates the sports landscape, accounting for over 90% of betting turnover. One needs to realize unmistakably that cricket is a cultural cornerstone in India, and this reality shapes sports betting in India.
The overwhelming popularity of cricket in India presents the challenge of providing sufficiently deep coverage to satisfy the avid Indian cricket fan. You need to go beyond the major tournaments and offer betting markets for a wide range of events, including lower-tier and niche competitions. This requires integrating data from specialized cricket content providers and potentially developing in-house odds engines to offer a comprehensive selection of betting options.
The prevalence of in-play betting on cricket in India poses a significant challenge for risk management. You must be able to accurately assess risk in real-time and adjust odds quickly to avoid exploitation by players seeking to take advantage of last-minute India sports betting opportunities. This requires AI-powered risk management that differentiates casual players from those attempting to exploit the system, setting appropriate betting limits and latencies for different player segments.
The Indian sports betting business’ strong focus on in-play cricket betting limits the natural inclination towards multi-bets, which are generally more profitable. You must find creative ways to encourage multi-betting, such as developing intuitive bet builders for cricket, offering personalized recommendations, and using social proof to highlight multi-bet popularity. However, the limited number of daily matches in top cricket tournaments and the preference for cricket over other sports present inherent limitations to multi-bet adoption in this market.
Multi-bets are less popular in India due to the dominance of in-play betting on cricket. However, through features like precomposed multi-bets and recommendations, we help players compose multi-bets faster and more easily while they bet in-play.
Now that we’ve established the quirks of betting in India, here are the betting business strategies that, in our view, have proven effective:
We have already mentioned that cricket is the king of India. Its fan base dwarfs any other sport by a massive margin, making it the core of any successful betting business in India. Ignoring this sport would mean missing out on the vast majority of potential players and revenue.
With its frequent breaks and momentum shifts, cricket is ideal for in-play betting. Indian cricket fans overwhelmingly prefer in-play wagering, as it allows them to bet live, responding to the unfolding drama of the match. This gives you a prime opportunity to keep players engaged throughout the game, giving them multiple chances to place bets as the action unfolds. The longer and more dynamic a cricket match is, the more opportunities operators have to create engagement.
The key to thriving in India’s iGaming market lies in offering more than just the basics. While major tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL) draw in crowds, there’s significant value in covering lower-tier and local competitions as well. To tap into this, you should consider partnering with niche content providers specializing in cricket. This enables a broader range of cricket betting online in India, catering to the full spectrum of cricket fans.
Developing an in-house cricket odds engine can give you an additional edge and ensure you can offer 24/7 in-play coverage.
Offering an e-cricket can maintain player interest even during cricket’s off-season. This virtual alternative provides nonstop action, filling the traditional cricket calendar gaps and ensuring betting opportunities are always available. Year-round engagement through e-cricket can be a powerful tool for keeping your player base active and driving consistent revenue.
A sophisticated CRM system can segment players based on their cricket betting preferences, allowing personalized offers and communication that speak directly to their interests. Furthermore, gamification features such as cricket-themed quests, tournaments, and rewards can enhance the betting experience and, generally speaking, cricket betting business ideas that create a deeper connection with players and boost loyalty.
Multi-bets bring higher average margins than single bets, making them an appealing revenue source. However, driving multi-bet adoption in India’s iGaming market comes with unique challenges because of the dominance of cricket betting in India. Here’s a breakdown of the main obstacles and strategies for overcoming them.
Indian players tend to favor single bets, especially during live cricket matches. Since in-play cricket betting involves rapidly changing odds, players often hesitate to place multi-bets that sudden shifts could compromise. This strong preference for single bets in an in-play environment makes it tough to push for multi-bet adoption, as multi-bets usually require combining outcomes from multiple matches or events.
The nature of cricket bookies in India, often featuring only one or two games per day, restricts the availability of daily matches to combine for multi-bets. Since most Indian betting happens in cricket, they have fewer chances to create diverse multi-bets, especially compared to markets with higher match frequencies across sports.
Indian bettors tend to focus exclusively on cricket, showing little interest in other sports. This limits the potential for multi-bet involving different sports and reduces cross-sport betting opportunities, a common driver for multi-bet adoption in other regions.
Streamlining multi-bet creation with features like one-click recommendations in the bet slip, pre-composed multi-bets on event pages, and editable bets allows players to transition from single to multi-bets effortlessly.
Introducing a dedicated multi-bet hub showcasing popular multi-bets placed by other players leverages social proof, encouraging participation by highlighting multi-bets' popularity within the community.
GR8 Tech’s in-house bet builder for cricket allows players to combine outcomes within the same match for pre-match and in-play betting. This tool is tailored specifically for Indian cricket betting and directly addresses the limited multi-bet opportunities resulting from cricket’s tournament structure.
A flexible bonus orchestrator allows you to design promotions specifically aimed at multi-betting, while gamification elements like quests and rewards incentivize players to explore multi-bet options.
⚠️ While these solutions can foster some increase in multi-bet adoption, significant growth may remain limited by cricket’s unique schedule and the deep-rooted focus on this sport among Indian bettors. Cricket doesn’t have a packed schedule, which means there aren’t many chances for multi-bets, and since people usually prefer cricket to other sports, it limits the options for cross-sport betting. So, think about these things and evaluate how the cricket betting scene in India could pay off before diving deep into multi-bets.
In-play sports betting in India, especially on cricket, is fast-paced and can lead to exploitation if not carefully managed. That’s why AI-powered risk management systems are essential for boosting players' LTV and ultimately succeeding in an overcrowded market like India. Such systems can differentiate between regular players and those looking to exploit the system, preventing fraudulent bets before they become a problem.
Another critical component is improving your in-play odds uptime. The more your markets are open during live events, the more opportunities your players have to bet. Even a slight increase in uptime can make a big difference in turnover.
Advanced integrated risk management solutions, particularly those powered by machine learning and AI, are needed to mitigate these risks. These Indian online betting business solutions can differentiate player behavior by analyzing betting patterns, bet sizes, and other factors to distinguish between casual players and those attempting to exploit the system.
Such integrated systems can provide real-time bet scoring by assessing the risk associated with each bet in real time, considering factors like betting behavior anomalies and global odds comparisons. This helps prevent the acceptance of potentially risky bets that could lead to losses for the operator.
To retain players, you need more than great odds. You need a strategy that keeps them coming back. A comprehensive CRM system allows you to segment your audience, tailor offers, and create personalized communication strategies. There are several key strategies and features that operators in the Indian market can leverage to achieve these goals:
A robust CRM system empowers you to create and manage targeted bonus campaigns based on player segmentation and behavior when it comes to betting in India online. This personalization ensures that offers resonate with individual preferences, increasing their appeal and effectiveness. A bonus engine is an example of a tool that provides you with granular control over bonus offerings, facilitating tailored promotions for different player segments.
Our CRM platform allows operators to create highly personalized, data-driven bonus scenarios, segment users, and communicate with them effectively. It's all about tailoring the experience to keep players engaged long-term.
At GR8 Tech, we've spent years analyzing effective CRM systems for a diverse range of betting businesses on cricket in India. Drawing from our experience, we’ve identified the following key results:
Increased Retention and Reduced Churn: We attribute a 75-80% month-to-month increase in retention and a significant reduction in churn to the effective use of CRM tools, particularly the Journey Builder system.
Marketing ROI Growth: CRM initiatives improve retention and engagement, contributing to more efficient use of marketing resources, leading to an estimated 20% increase in marketing ROI.
Growth in Gamification Users: The successful implementation of gamification features, driven by CRM insights and capabilities, can result in an 85% increase in the number of users actively engaging with these elements.
Reduced Operational Costs: Streamlined CRM systems can automate various tasks related to player engagement and retention, reducing CRM teams' operational costs.
A CRM system is a must for operators aiming to boost player engagement and maximize LTV in busy markets like India. With data-driven segmentation, personalized bonuses, omnichannel communication, and gamification features, operators can create a more engaging and rewarding player experience. Also, we strongly advocate for an integrated approach, combining a sportsbook with a CRM solution to effectively engage players without risks of third-party integration issues.
To succeed in the cricket betting business in India, you must not overlook localization. Offering language support (Hindi is a must-have) and ensuring that your content and promotions resonate with the local audience are critical. Gamification that reflects the culture – be it through avatars that mirror local identities or cricket-themed rewards – creates a more immersive and engaging experience for players, making your platform feel more personal and familiar.
However, merely having access to a market with over a billion people doesn't guarantee success. The sheer size of the Indian audience can be deceptive; it’s not enough to assume that players will continuously flood in without effort. Operators who believe they can simply replace churned players with new ones are in for a harsh reality check. While there is no shortage of potential players, retention is the true challenge, and focusing on it is what will separate successful betting businesses from those who fall behind.
There’s substantial evidence that tailoring your approach to the India betting business through language, cricket-specific features, mobile optimization, and culturally aligned gamification can open growth opportunities:
Retention strategy is key when talking about how to convert new players into loyal users. Without a flexible bonus engine or tailored communication strategies, operators risk losing players right after major tournaments like the IPL or World Cup.
We bring the expertise of tailored mobile optimization, comprehensive cricket insights, and AI-powered risk management to elevate payers' LTV and retention. Contact us if you are ready to dominate the Indian iGaming market.
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