Cricket has been the second most popular sport worldwide for many decades, ranking just behind football. The sport currently has more than 2.5 billion fans. A huge chunk of these fans lives in southern Asia, particularly India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Aussies and Britons are also known for their love of cricket.
Because of its popularity, betting sites pay great attention to this sport. They constantly innovate to satisfy the needs of cricket fans, as well as those who simply want to gamble on the sport. In this guide, we’ll look at the mobile-first approach taken by cricket betting sites and how these platforms have made the game more exciting.
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What Makes a Good Cricket Betting App?
You can use betting services on your phone via a mobile app or your browser. If your bookie doesn’t have an Android or iOS app, you should consider adding the web app to your home screen. This will make it easier for you to access your account on your browser.
Since most people access the internet using their smartphones or tablets, it has become necessary for sportsbooks to adopt a mobile-first approach to their website designs. That means betting sites will first be optimized for smartphones before they’re designed for desktop devices.
But what exactly would make a cricket betting app stand out? First, you’ll need to check the load speed of the app. A well-designed app should load in less than a few seconds. In fact, if a platform takes more than 2 seconds to load, it is definitely poorly designed or can’t scale to keep up with traffic. Developers can improve the load speed by adding advanced data caching and optimizing the data transfer process with a custom API.
Something else you’ll have to look out for is the variety of cricket events covered in the app. Some betting services will only cover the major international cricket matches, while ignoring regional or local ones. This can inconvenience bettors who are passionate about their local teams. It’s worth noting that most respected betting sites also allow fans to place bets on e-sports. The good thing with e-sports betting is that you’ll usually be able to stream the games live.
A good betting app should also offer lots of betting options and markets. This will give you a chance to build lucrative multi-bets while minimizing your risk. Here are some popular cricket betting markets:
- To win outright
- To reach the playoffs
- To reach the finals
- Name the finalists
- Top batsman
- Top bowler
- Series winner
- Series correct score
- Series double chance
- Series draw no bet
- Match handicap
- First wicket method
Before you start using a betting app, it’s also a good idea to analyze the quality of the odds. You can compare the cricket betting prices to those of other respected bookies to see whether they’re high enough. Make sure you check the odds of smaller cricket matches as well.
To entice you to sign up and place bets, most bookies offer bonuses and promotions. You shouldn’t just get carried away by large numbers. Instead, you should go through the terms and conditions of the bonuses to determine whether they’re fair. The most important condition you should check is the wagering requirement. If it’s too high, you’ll be unlikely to make a profit with the offer. Also, avoid offers that have short validity periods.
A good cricket betting site will also offer fast 24/7 customer support. Ideally, the support agents should be available via email and live chat. With most bookies, live chat queries are handled in seconds. You’ll find this communication option ideal for short and urgent queries since it follows a back-and-forth chat format. Email is usually much slower, taking an average of 3 to 4 hours to get responses. Still, it’s the best option for lengthy queries or issues that require document attachments.
In-Play Betting and Real-Time Interaction
Thanks to modern technology, people can now place bets even as matches go on. A cricket betting app makes this process even more convenient since you’ll be able to place bets when travelling, resting on the beach, or even working. The odds are updated in seconds, and this gives experienced bettors a chance to analyze the games in real time. It’s important to note that you have to confirm your bet quickly when betting on ongoing games. If you’re too slow, your bet will be rejected.
Some cricket betting apps go a step further and add a chat functionality to their in-play betting sections. You can use this feature to learn more about the participating teams. For example, at Sportsbet, players can join the Clubtalk Telegram channel and connect with like-minded people. Before joining these forums, you should carefully go through the terms and conditions section. Otherwise, you may get banned from the discussions.
If your betting site doesn’t have a chat feature, you can instead use alternative forums like Reddit to find out what other bettors and experts think about the matches.
Security and Responsible Gambling in Betting Apps
To place bets, you need to share your personal details with a cricket betting app, and that means the site needs to be extremely secure. First, you need to make sure your bookie is licensed by a reputable body, like the MGA or the Curaçao government. These regulators ensure that the sportsbooks follow strict rules that protect customer details and their credit card information. They also require the betting apps to provide resources for customers who may have a gambling problem.
To protect your data, you should also avoid signing up on sites that don’t use SSL encryption. This feature encrypts your personal details to make sure hackers can’t decipher your data. Without SSL encryption, you’ll likely find your data being sold on the dark web.
For an extra layer of security, you can opt to make payments using cryptocurrencies instead of credit cards. These digital currencies won’t require you to share any sensitive details. For this reason, there will be no chance that you’ll become a victim of identity theft. Some of the best cryptocurrencies you can use in betting sites are Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ether, Tether, and Cardano. When choosing a digital coin, you should consider the transfer fees and speed of transactions.
What Are the Emerging Trends in Mobile Betting?
Since the first online sportsbook was launched, developers have come up with many innovations to improve the betting experience. Some of the significant trends in the past decades include in-play betting, real-time chatting with players, the use of crypto, and live streams. But what are some of the trends that are either picking up or likely to be adopted in the future?
One of these is the use of artificial intelligence (AI). This technology has been improving over the past few years and is now being used to determine the personal preferences of bettors. With that information, cricket betting apps can determine what kinds of bonuses to give you.
Modern technology is also making it possible for bookies to expand micro-betting. This involves placing wagers on small events within a cricket match. Betting site operators can quickly come up with odds for these events, and with AI, players will also be able to analyze the wagers in seconds.
Conclusion
Betting on cricket can be fun, and if you’re lucky, you’ll make money with it. Today, the best bookies are adopting a mobile-first approach when designing their websites. That means the platforms are primarily optimized for mobile devices. The reason behind this is that most people now use their smartphones or tablets to access the internet. When picking a cricket betting app, you should evaluate its security, betting markets, event coverage, and available bonuses. The bookie should also offer extensive in-play betting options. Finally, you need to make sure you pick a licensed betting app, since this will guarantee you security and fairness.
Online bookies are continually integrating emerging technologies into their apps. For example, these services now accept cryptocurrencies and use AI to evaluate customer preferences. We can expect them to adopt technologies like VR and AR in the future.
