The Global Pitch: Unlocking Growth Opportunities in the Exploding Cricket Betting Market

The gentlemen’s sport is a favourite to watch for many, simply for its entertainment value. But its popularity has found a new fuel — guided by a drive to make big bucks through predictions and lucky guesses.

Bookies are synonymous with cricket, of course. But iGaming too is seeing a surge when it comes to betting on cricket.

Erstwhile colonized nations were big players in the game. India, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, West Indies and more. But the regional obsession became a true international talk-of-the-town when the American men’s cricket team won the T20 World Cup against Pakistan in 2024.

As some of the most populated (and regulated) markets engage in the sport, naturally operators, brand and affiliate networks in these nations too must wise up to its potential. 

Valued at $14.45 billion in 2024 according to Verified Market Reports, this market is all set to reach astronomical heights at $36.24 billion in 2033. At a CAGR of 10.7% in this timeframe, cricket betting is one of the bigger shares of the pie when it comes to betting itself.

Let’s examine regional trends, potential drivers of growth and untapped opportunities herein.

The Global Betting Landscape

What’s the Market Scope?

With an estimated 2.5 billion fans worldwide, cricket is perhaps the 2nd or 3rd most-bet-on sport in the world, trailing close behind soccer and tennis.

This includes the people who show up in stands when a game is going on, and those who contribute to global viewership numbers — no matter who is playing or where the game is going down.

Several data points suggest that over 85% of sports bets are now placed online, either through desktop or mobile. This suggests a shift in how wagering in this popular sport has historically happened. In-play betting, live odds and even in-app commentary is a great way to build engagement — a clear reason for this shift.

When it comes to this 11-man sport too, accessibility through cricket betting websites and mobile apps has triggered a revolution. Let’s take a look at which markets are most affected by it.

From Legacy Strongholds to the Global Stage

There were always three strong betting markets when it came to betting on cricket: India, United Kingdom and Australia. Together, they form about 70% of the existing market when it comes to cricket.

However, a traditional approach, such as sticking to these regions alone is a fool’s errand. There’s the issue of compounding regulations in some of the most tightly regulated countries, i.e. India and the UK.

Then there’s saturation. Mature betting markets have existing players, including traditional betting avenues, which are already cornered. Therefore, the next bet is to look at where the revolution is heading.

Here’s a glimpse: the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup saw unprecedented viewership in North America. About 1.5 viewers tuned it to watch the matches — a phenomenon largely fueled by South Asian immigrants. Many of them place wagers. World cup cricket betting is a prominent driver of qualified user acquisition for seasonal sports bettors.

This diaspora effect is evident across other countries around the world too. Europe and South America are two continents where it is slowly growing in prominence. 

Events, too, drive the incidence of such betting. Take the Ashes or the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which are played between two countries each only. Smaller scale events like this in more cricket-crazy markets leads to higher wagers in terms of amount versus volume in global events.

Where are Most of the Cricket Bettors Found?

India

Betting of any kind is highly restricted in India. However, unofficial estimates on the scale of the activity speculate that the actual value of this activity in India is worth over $150 billion.

The Indian Premier League or IPL alone generated over $1 billion in revenue every year. You can estimate how much IPL betting is likely to be going on. To understand the proportionality of this, it is important to note that the viewership for the game stands at about 550 million people. Even here, the majority view the sport through their mobile screens.

While a lot of the cricket betting activity can be attributed to offline channels, the UPI-ready (a digital payment interface) audience is sure to be present in equally baffling numbers online.

Australia

With a GGR all set to reach $7.6 billion by 2026, Australia’s online betting market is quite mature, and primed for even more growth. 

Players have the opportunity to bet on global events like the World Cup Series, T20 and IPL. In addition, local leagues like the Big Bash League (BBL) are a great draw for competitive and regular bettors.

However, this doesn’t mean iGaming is a free-for-all in the country. Strict compliance norms under the National Consumer Protection Framework that restrict the advertisement of sign-up bonuses, make it a quagmire to navigate for operators, brands and affiliate networks.

United Kingdom

In the UK, cricket is bet upon seasonally. Here, tighter regulations mean more monitoring and greater revenue tracking. THe UKGC’s data shows that remote or online cricket betting contributes £2.3 billion worth of GGR in 2024. 

The majority of this came from occasions such as the Ashes, the Hundreds and the T20 Blasts.

USA and Canada

In the USA, incidents like the launch of the Major League Cricket (MLC) with an investment sum of $120 million back in 2023 — a sure sign that commercial interest is present in this market. As a result, we can conclude that betting on cricket is certainly going to be gaining momentum too.

In Canada, the scene is relatively more certain. The country’s regulated market (Ontario) launched in 2022. In its very first year, a revenue of CAD $1.4 billion across the entire iGaming category. 

The interesting thing to note here is that cricket is emerging as a top-10 sport to bet on in this region. The reason? An interest driven by immigrant communities from our top 3 markets.

There’s good news for affiliates within these numbers too. The first mover advantage. The benefits are two-fold:

• Operators can run low-cost user acquisition programs in these regions to onboard players.
• Top-of-the-funnel campaigns run by affiliates through organic marketing will also draw a huge interest (provided, due localization factors are kept in mind).

What’s Driving this Cricket Betting Surge?

It’s crucial to make a note of what is drawing users to cricket in particular, so that those responsible for running affiliate campaigns are aware of conversion-friendly aspects to get better conversions.

Mobile and App-based Betting

The increase of smartphone penetration and high-speed internet is making the entire world a homogenous source of high-quality (and often high-engagement) traffic. 

According to Statistica, 7.49 billion people were using smartphones in 2025 around the world. That’s close to 90% of the world’s population.

And bettors? Nobody knows for sure. But an educated guess can be made based on viewer to bet amount ratios.

The mobile gambling market is certainly contributing a large chunk towards the total participants in this segment.

Then there’s the fact of cheaper internet access.

Consider one of the key population groups making up a large number of enthusiasts in this field: India. 1 GB worth of data with decent speed and connectivity comes for as low as $0.79. It may seem like an anomaly, but this is slowly becoming the norm. 

Many countries are moving towards 5G speeds (that are genuinely 5G in experience). Such a transformation is sure to show impact across industries, with iGaming (and, in turn, cricket betting too) being affected positively.

A Variety of Cricketing Events

Earlier, the sources of entertainment (and the circulation of media content) were both limited in scope and speed. As we move further into the future, the arenas for both have ballooned.

So, cricket is no longer just a once-a-year World Cup. It’s every other month, depending on where you’re based. A new league is born every time you look away. It implies: more situations for bettors to place their money on and more revenue for iGaming businesses.

Take for instance the IPL. The brand value for it rose exponentially, even in the early aughts — $10.7 billion, back in 2023.

But India is not the only cricket-crazy nation around. There’s Pakistan’s PSL, Australia’s BBL, South Africa’s SA20, Caribbean-held CPL and UK’s The Hundred.

There’s also a transformation in the types of bets an individual can place on such events. Here’s a glimpse.

And these events are only the ones that draw bigger crowds. Cricketing events surpass most others in conduction, attendance and attraction too.

Regulatory Developments

Most operations for cricket betting around the world are still part of the grey market — no clear rules, poor conduct and disloyal players.

The volumes are great. But so too is the risk — for everyone. 

Regulation can be expensive to implement and costly to maintain from a compliance standpoint, but it offers the triple benefits of stability, higher player value and clear advertising guidelines. The outcome? As a business, promotions don’t set you back due to arbitrary reasons, and channels like online gambling ad spends become easier to track, reducing wastage.

Additionally, in certain countries, regulations exist state-wise. This means you get clear direction on targeting audiences through whatever medium your affiliates use, based on the advertising laws existing there.

In the USA, for instance, this difference is noticeably more clear. In Michigan, iGaming is allowed, with 15 regulated or registered operators. But the same isn’t true for Maryland, where casino games are permitted if practised in one of the 6 registered casinos.

Payment Infrastructure

Nobody likes lengthy payment processes, without a guarantee of zero delays or failures. In time sensitive events of cricket betting, this couldn’t be more true.

That’s why the introduction of payment providers and fintech integrations is crucial in operations. Users get a good deal:

• Built-in, easy KYCs
• Smooth, no lag transactions
• Multiple transaction mediums (wallets, netbanking, etc.)
• Transparency in each transaction

Operators benefit from such add-ons too:

• Clear audit trails
• Providing a good user experience
• Paying affiliates on time, everytime
• Paying game winners accurately and immediately

There are two developments that are enabled by a better payment infrastructure:

• Micro-bets or bets of very small value have become prominent. Think: $1 or less. It’s a no-risk play that offers entertainment value — a win-win for players and businesses. But traditional payment systems could not have supported high-volume, low value transactions in a way that modern ones do.
• Crypto-payments or novel currencies being used to conduct transactions — either for players or affiliates. Through the means of payment provider integrations, iGaming operations and brands can transact in the currency of choice, with a similar turnaround time as they would with regular digital fiat.

Cricket Betting Affiliate Ecosystem Expansion

Publishers can no longer be looked at as a homogenous entity. In fact, there has been a complete shift in the “affiliate” identity over time. Let’s understand what these changes have been.

1. Influencer-first Culture

Affiliates are no longer bound to email lists or review websites. They’re public figures who also dabble in promotions, possessing their own promo codes and promotional strategies.

From reels on Tiktok and Instagram to tweets on X, the way they bring audiences to the iGaming websites has changed completely. Take for instance, the promotions of the former Indian cricket team’s captain for “Dream11” — a website dedicated to fantasy cricket games.

Media figures and popular cricket pundits are pushing content through novel mediums like podcasts (refer: “The Cricket Betting Podcast”) to reach top-of-the-funnel users. 

2. Multi-channel Promoters

Limiting promotions to a single medium is a recipe for disaster. Affiliates need to be strategic marketers and find audiences wherever they exist.

As the iGaming industry booms, so does affiliate marketing within it; more players for a slice of the pie. That’s why promoters can no longer be masters of one medium.

SEO-forward marketers need to expand to email marketing. Paid marketing publishers need to have social media channels. Influencers should be community builders. The audience that is going to bet is also spread throughout multiple mediums. So this change is likely to lead to better promotional outcomes — more conversions for businesses, better payouts for networks and affiliates.

What are the Future Opportunities?

Africa

Nigeria and South Africa are already sending a lot of traffic to global iGaming websites, and showing billion dollar revenue figures. The Nigerian online gambling market, for example, is going to hit $3.6 billion this year. 

Even in sub-Saharan Africa, 5G penetrations are set to reach 180 million by 2029. As connectivity grows and regulations move ahead, markets too will grow and become hubs of iGaming.

When this happens, you could even start running your cricket betting ad campaigns through Google there. At present, however, such efforts should be limited to Lagos.

Women’s Cricket Events

A counterpart to the Indian Premier League (IPL) was launched for women cricketers in 2023. It was valued at $150 million that very year. The viewership it garnered was also exceptional: 200 million.

While not traditionally valued as a format (i.e. women in cricket), the opportunities to bet on in cricket alone are growing by leaps and bounds. We’re talking U-19, regional association matches, 1v1 nation matches and so on. 

This interest is not limited to men’s sports alone. Its effects are going to become evident even where women’s participation is concerned.

Fantasy Cricket

The numbers speak for themselves. The Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association (FSGA) shared that 81% of the individuals who participated in fantasy sports in 2022 were also sports bettors. In the same year, 62.5% of people were participating actively in fantasy games in the USA and Canada.

In India, the fantasy sports market is estimated at $6 billion. The same fantasy sports company (Dream11) that brought MS Dhoni (the former Indian cricket team captain) on as a brand ambassador for its ads secured an annual revenue of $7.6 million back in 2023. 

That tells you how much scope and scale there is within this iGaming niche.

How to Capitalize on the Cricket Betting Market?

Localization and Personalization

Did you know that users are about 70% more likely to convert when they’re presented with offers and promotional content in their native tongues?

That’s not to say creating content in English and then translating it will bring you any success. Transliteration or genuine effort in bridging the semantic gap needs to be made. Native speakers and readers should be able to relate and respond to your content. That’s what localization in iGaming is all about.

You must dig deep to understand “who” is betting on cricket.

The same messages won’t appeal to dissimilar audiences. That much is obvious. But personalization should go beyond simple “Hey Amanda” or “Thanks for registering, Paul”. It means:

• User segmentation
• Funnel-stage-based messages
• Demographic or persona-derived communication, and so on.

Smarter Compliance

Direct your attention towards ensuring business goes on unhampered. The way to go about this in cricket betting, or any other iGaming niche, is to ensure the rules are being followed, wherever you operate.

Use precise geo-targeting, third-party KYC applications, valid licenses and follow local advertising rules to always stay in line. Ensure all your affiliates and partner networks are compliance-ready so occasions like sportsbook affiliate link bans too can be avoided.

SEO, Influencer and Community Marketing

Let audiences find you through keywords that matter most in this industry — throughout the year, and seasonally. This means you should be present when users look for “best app for cricket betting” or “how to calculate odds in cricket bets”. 

Additionally, make sure both you and some of your promoters are visible at all times, wherever the potential audience is present — Telegram, Discord, Whatsapp or any other medium. This means affiliate networks and partner marketers under them too need to diversify with respect to platforms.

It’s clear: promotions too need to find their promotion-market fit.

Partnership Models and Strategic Alliances

In growing and emergent markets, hybrid deals are what affiliates prefer. This means a deep reliance on the mixed bags of CPA and revenue share. Such a mix ensures affiliates have regular cash flow, and onboard primarily long-term users, which in turn lets operators and brands benefit from their loyalty.

Performance-based Affiliate Networks

The problem with CPA commission models is that it gives affiliates less legroom to bring in higher-quality acquisitions. It’s a one-and-done type of deal.

With revenue sharing, they’re encouraged to put in the work to find high-quality players and whales. Not only does such a practice bring more GGR/NGR to businesses, it gives affiliates long-term income from every single action of such an acquisition.

Both models can also be applied based on the cricket betting market you’re operating in:

• CPA, when you’re just started out to quickly bring on traffic to your platform at lower costs
• Revenue sharing, when you’re an established business looking for growth
• A mix of both when you become stable or are expanding.

Summing Up

Bigger things are coming to the cricketing world, such as its presence in the LA Olympics of 2028. Even more global visibility and legitimacy? Of course! And with that, a whole new audience.

For context, the total amount bet on the Paris Olympics 2024 was €11 billion, up about 20% from the previous session of the games in Tokyo. The coming games are probably going to tip the scales even higher. 

The key technique to succeed during cricket-based and other sporting events around the world is three-fold:

• Be digitally present
• Ensure you’re locally-relevant, and
• Target niche audiences.

And don’t wait till the event is upon you to act. The right media mix (including affiliate marketing) needs time to warm up for an effective response. Plan in advance, build momentum and see the right results come in.
If you’re looking for more strategic insights into improving how your affiliate campaigns are run during this time, feel free to get in touch.

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