Best Football Betting Sites in India (2021)

Find and compare the best online football betting sites in India in our list above. All of the online betting sites in our list are legal, licensed and safe for online football betting from India. Football is one of the most popular sports to bet on in India, but which betting site offers the best football betting experience?

Number of Tournaments and Events Available

Before joining a betting site, you want to make sure the bookie offers a wide range of football events and markets including the leagues/competitions you want to bet on. We recommend sticking to a league you know well, such as the Indian Super League, as soccer is a notoriously difficult sport to predict.

The majority of betting sites will offer the top football leagues from Europe, and the big competitions, but, it is also important to make sure they offer the smaller leagues as there is less data on these leagues, and often have great potential for high-value bets.

High Football Betting Odds

One of the most important factors is the football betting margins/betting odds available on each bookie. Betting margins are essentially the amount a betting site "charges" you to place a bet, and the margins can be as low as 0% up to 12+.

We independently test a small sample of betting markets to get an idea of the betting margins on each bookie. In our tests, the European based bookmakers consistently offer the lowest margins available on football markets for both domestic and international events.

1. Betway soccer margin - 4.35%
2. Unibet soccer margin - 4.61%
3. bet365 soccer margin - 4.85%
4. LeoVegas soccer margin - 4.92%
5. 22Bet soccer margin - 5.54%
6. 888Sport soccer margin - 6.18%

Depth of Betting Markets

After calculating the betting margins, we check to see how many betting markets are available throughout the football competitions and leagues around the world. The best betting sites offer 300+ betting markets, player prop bets, bet builders (a feature to let you create custom bets) Asian markets, and much more.

Most punters do not need this many betting markets, but, it is often a lot easier to find value in the niche markets, rather than the regular markets available on all bookies.

However, some niche markets have horrendously high betting margins compared to the popular markets, and we encourage you to stick to a market you know if you are looking for long-term sustainable profitability.

Live Football Betting Experience

The best betting sites offer fantastic in-play/live betting experiences with free live streams, cashout options and a wide variety of live betting markets throughout the match.

bet365 and Unibet are two of the best bookies for free live streaming, with both offering 1000's of live sports streams each month if you have a funded account or a bet on the match.

Also, it is handy to join a betting site that offers live notifications for events in the match, and you can turn on notifications for a wide variety of in-game events such as goals, corners, cards, halftime/fulltime result and much more.

Football Betting Special Offers and Promotions

This ultimate guide has touched on some of the special bets that are widely available at sports betting sites in India above, but in reality that barely scratches the surface.

There are so many football betting special offers and promotions out there nowadays that it is impossible to list them all in one place. New deals are also being launched regularly, including exclusive no deposit free bet bonuses for new customers.

Part of the reason for this is that there is so much competition in the world of online sports betting that companies always have to be offering something different to stand out.

Some promotions are more attractive than others, though, with a lot of special offers for football betting turning out to be less worthwhile than they seem at first glance.

Sifting through the various football betting special offers and promotions that can be claimed is a challenge, which is where we come in to help out.

Here are some of the most common - and the best - football promotions to look out for.

Acca Insurance: A popular promotion now is acca insurance, which sees football fans refunded on their accumulator stakes in the event of just one of their selections letting the bet down. The stake is usually returned as cash, but sometimes bookmakers pay these out as free bets.

Free bets: Most bookmakers these days offer free bets to tempt new users to sign up. But free bets can be earned by existing customers at many of the best betting sites as well. These free bets are used by betting sites as a way to reward loyalty and encourage repeat visits. One thing to keep in mind with free bets, especially those that are routinely given out to new users, is there is often a time limit on when they can be used. The winnings from free bets might also be subject to wagering requirements, which means the money has to be bet a certain number of times before it becomes available to be withdrawn from a sports betting account. 

Enhanced odds/price boosts: One of the main ways that bookmakers tempt people into placing bets is through the use of enhanced odds, which might also be known as price boosts. These see prices increased for a particular bet, though there is usually a limit on the stake. 

Money-back specials: A common promotion is a money-back special, which various bookmakers offer now. The stake might be returned if the game ends goalless, for example.

Early payouts: Some bookmakers that are available such as Betway and bet365 offer early payouts on certain football bets. As an example, bets might be paid out if a team goes two goals ahead in a game, regardless of what happens in the rest of the match.

Best Odds Guaranteed: Commonly found on horse racing betting sites but increasingly offered for football too, Best Odds Guaranteed does just what the name of the promotion suggests. If a bookmaker offers a bet at a lower price than a rival, they pay out the winnings at the higher odds. Best Odds Guaranteed reduces the need for football fans to hunt around the internet to find the best price for a bet that they intend to place on the big game.

#1 Best Football Betting Site in India - Betway

Betway is a world-class international betting site with a dedicated Indian website and valid gambling licenses to accept players from India legally. Betway is easily the best international bookmaker to accept Indian players and Indian Rupees with several local depositing methods.

Players will find famously high betting odds across the sportsbook and particularly high odds on soccer. Also, Betway offers a complete gambling product including sports betting, casino, live casino, esports, and vegas.

Highlights:

• Highest football betting odds
• 1000's of betting markets & football matches
• 24/7 customer support
• Custom soccer bets using BetMyWay
• Cashout feature
• Betway betting app for Android and iOS users

#2 Best Football Betting Site in India - bet365

bet365 is one of the best betting sites in India for football betting. You will find high odds, a large collection of football matches from around the world, hundreds of betting markets, and live streaming. Also, bet365 has a fast, simple and user-friendly mobile betting app and mobile betting site for players that want to bet on the go.

Highlights:

• Massive collection of football matches
• 1000's of betting markets each month
• Free live streaming
• High odds for pre-match and live football betting
• User-friendly betting app and mobile site
• Soccer bet builder (Build your custom soccer bets)

#3 Best Football Betting Site in India - Unibet

Unibet is another fantastic betting site for football, and they just started to accept players from India and Indian Rupees. Unibet is one of the most popular bookmakers in Europe, offering 40+ sports, 1000's of betting markets and high betting odds across the sportsbook. There is no Indian specific betting site or betting apps, but they accept players from India and Indian Rupees on the Unibet.com website.

Highlights:

• High football odds
• 24/7 customer support
• Wide range of football betting markets
• Mobile-friendly betting apps for iOS and Android
• Inplay cashout feature
• Virtual football 24/7
• Live football streams
• In-depth statistics and live scores
• Daily odds boosts
• Football promotions

#4 Best Football Betting Site in India - 22Bet

22Bet is a global brand that first launched into India in 2017 with valid gambling licenses for both sports betting and casino. 22Bet India is available on desktop, a mobile site, or betting apps for both Android and iOS users. Players will get access to a wide range of sports and an in-depth soccer betting product with matches from all around the world and 1000's of betting markets.

Highlights:

• 1000's of football matches and betting markets
• User-friendly sites and mobile apps
• Enhanced daily football odds
• In-depth football stats for each match
• 24/7 customer support
• Jackpot games

It is not uncommon for a big game in a competition like the English Premier League or the Champions League to have hundreds of different markets on sports betting sites.

However, here are some of the most common football betting markets - and what they mean:

1x2 (full-time result): A simple one to start off, 1x2 is the match odds market. 1 refers to the home team, 2 to the away team, and the x is the draw. Backers have to predict the final result.

Accumulators: Very popular with football fans in India and around the world, accumulators are cherished as they offer a chance to win life-changing money from relatively small stakes. Backers combine a number of bets into the same wager in order to bump up the odds by a lot.

Draw no bet: This bet does exactly what the name suggests. Backers pick a team to win and, if the final result of the game is a draw, their stake will be returned back into their betting account. 

Double chance: Again, this bet is what bettors would expect. Double chance bets give players two opportunities to win. An example of a double chance bet would be backing the result to be either a draw or a win for the away team. It is particularly useful when backing the underdog. 

Correct score: Predicting the correct score in football betting is famously difficult, but that does not stop a lot of fans of the game from trying. The correct score bet is only valid for the first 90 minutes, in the event of a match in a cup competition going to either extra time or penalties. 

Halftime/fulltime: Similar to 1x2 bets, the extra facet of halftime/fulltime bets is that backers have to guess the result at both the break and the final whistle. For example, fans might want to bet on the away side to be in front at halftime but for the home team to turn it around by the end. 

Halftime/fulltime correct score: This is the same as the above betting market, but the backer has to pick the score for the break and the end of the game, not just the result. 

Goalscorers (first, last, and anytime): Very popular for football betting, goal scorer markets can provide a lot of value. It is possible to bet on who scores the first goal in the game, or the last goal, or even just betting on a player to score at any time in the game. Additionally, a lot of the top betting sites offer similar markets such as to score and win the game.

Both teams to score: This bet is handy for games where goals are expected. As long as both teams in the game can find the net, then the BTTS bet will be a winning wager. 

Result/both teams to score: A useful combination bet, backers pick the result of the match as well as betting that each side will be on target during the game as well. 

Over/under goals: Goals markets are a very popular choice, with over/under the main choice. It is usually the case that over/under 2.5 goals is the default. This means if there are three or more goals in the game, over 2.5 wins, and if there are two or less, then under 2.5 goals wins. This bet works the same whether the number is 2.5 or 0.5, 1.5, 3,5, 4.5 and so on.

Win to nil: If a backer thinks a team will win a game and keep a clean sheet, then the win to nil market on sportsbooks is going to be the right selection for them to make.

European handicap: Handicaps are increasingly popular for football betting. Essentially, the handicap means teams have goals either added to or taken away from the number of goals they actually score in the game. For example, if Chelsea are -1 against Tottenham, they need to win by two clear goals or more for the bet to be a winner. Handicaps work in the other direction too. If a fan bets on Tottenham +2, then the bet wins even if Spurs actually lose the game by a single goal. Handicaps can provide a lot of value in matches where there is a strong favourite to win the game, with their odds to win very short as a result. European handicap markets are sometimes shown as EH for short on sports betting sites.

Asian lines: Asian lines are another type of handicap. They are named as such as they originated in Asia, but these markets can now be found at sportsbooks all over the world, including in Ireland. The difference between European and Asian handicaps is that in Asian lines, the number can be a fraction, whereas it is always a full number on the European handicap. Chelsea -1.5 on the Asian handicap would be the equivalent to Chelsea -1 as an EH bet. The half goal means that the draw is eliminated from the potential outcome of the bet, whereas in EH the draw can result in a push and the stake being returned to the player as a result. The Asian and European handicaps are effectively a form of spread betting, but with sport. Asian lines can be used on various markets, including total goals scored, as well as for which team will win. 

Specials: Among the ways that the top betting sites try to beat their competition in the industry is through the use of special bets. These can be a variety of markets, including request-a-bet wagers where customers can effectively build their own accumulators. Enhanced odds and price boosts are some of the other special bets that are widely available at Indian bookmakers. There might also be special football markets offered at times, for example offering the chance to bet on which manager will be the next to be sacked in the English Premier League. Many online bookmakers also allow bets on football transfers nowadays, with wagers taken on which club a particular player will sign for before the end of the transfer window.

There are no shortcuts to success when betting on football. After all, if it was easy to make a lot of profit from football betting, everyone would be able to do it. The bookmakers would go bust!

However, following a football betting strategy can be a good way to increase the chances of getting one over the bookies. Many people find that sticking to a certain type of market, such as both teams to score, is their best way of maximising earnings as a result of placing football bets.

Research is the key. With so much information out there, much of it in the form of data and statistics that is easy to digest, there is no excuse for not being clued up before having a bet. It is also crucial to know all the latest news from the world of football, as an injury or illness to a key player is likely to have a big impact on a team's chances of winning their next games.

Football betting tips can be found all over the internet these days, but it is hard to know which ones are worth following. The best football betting tipsters are open about their records.

Many football fans also use strategies such as matched betting in order to profit. In theory, matched betting provides a guaranteed profit as a result of all potential outcomes being covered. This tactic relies on using free bets from bookmakers and then betting on exchanges as well.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Football Betting

Some of the most common mistakes to avoid in football betting are relevant for other sports.  For example, chasing losses is almost always a bad idea. It is also important to remain in control by ensuring a budget is maintained - never bet more than you can afford to lose.

On a similar note betting while emotional, or while under the influence of alcohol, is never a good idea. There is nothing wrong with taking a break from football betting when on a bad run.

Having unrealistic expectations over how much money can be won through football betting is another common mistake. The vast majority of accumulators lose. While they offer the chance to win big, the likelihood is that at least one result will let down this type of bet. It is often better to stick with singles and doubles that bettors have full confidence in.

Missing out on the best odds is also a mistake many bettors make. Even when a bookmaker has enhanced odds for a certain bet, this is not necessarily the best price that is available. It is usually worth taking a bit of time to shop around with various bookmakers in order to ensure the top value is taken from a wager. A small difference in odds might not seem like it makes a big impact. However, those who regularly bet on football will see it all mounts up in the long run.

Linked to the above is the need to have accounts with a range of different football betting sites. There is nothing wrong with doing this, in fact, it is recommended. While some bookmakers do try to reward the loyalty of their customers, usually the number of free bets that are offered across the industry means that it just makes a lot of sense to have many more options.

Lastly, placing too many wagers is something football fans should avoid when betting. It is usually more profitable to carry out deep research on a few well-chosen bets rather than spreading money around a large number of wagers. While it might seem as though more bets equals more chances to win, this is not the case if they are bad bets.