Kabaddi betting online is common in various parts of the world, especially countries within Southeast Asia. The sport originated in this region and is specifically popular among Asian countries, with men’s and women’s national teams from these countries. That said, European countries also participate in international kabaddi games and tournaments. Thus, since the game is reasonably popular, people bet on this sport online through various online bookmakers (betting websites). This article explores details about the game and betting on it online, including recommendations for websites.
What Is Kabaddi?
Kabaddi is a team sport that originated in Ancient India but is still played today in that region and worldwide.
There are 2 teams in each match, with 7 players on each side. As a contact sport, players from each team must head into the opposing team’s half of the court, tag an opposing player, and return to their half.
Basic Kabaddi Rules
Before we move further, here are some basic kabaddi rules to help you familiarize yourself with this sport. This game is played on a square or rectangular field, with boundaries that split the field into 2 halves—one for each team.
The game is 40 minutes long (playtime). The playtime is split into 2 sections of 20 minutes each and a 5-minute break in between.
Teams score points by “raiding” into the opposing team’s half of the court and touching the other players. They must also return to their own half to score that point all within a 30-second duration. Another important factor of the game is that the attacking player from any team must continuously utter the word kabaddi out loud when attacking/raiding.
The opposing team members can tackle the “raider” (the player entering the other team’s court) to score. That is considered a tackle point, and it’s one way for teams to score points when defending.
It’s important to note that there are two types of kabaddi. While the one described above is the more common form, the other variant is circle kabaddi and uses a circular field instead of a square one. The rules are relatively similar.
Different Kabaddi Leagues and the World Cup
The most popular kabaddi league is the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), and it’s based in India. Other leagues include the World Kabaddi League and the Super Kabaddi League. The World Kabaddi League includes only games of circle kabaddi among countries like India, Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The Super Kabaddi League is a Pakistan-based kabaddi league that has yet to host an event with international players.
There are separate kabaddi world cups for the standard variant of the game and the circle version. The last standard version was held in 2016, including men’s and women’s teams. The last world cup for the circle variation of the game was in 2020, which also included separate teams of men and women. This took place in February 2020, and the next world cup will be held in the first quarter of 2023.
How Can I Bet on Kabaddi?
You can bet on this sport through various online bookmakers (we provide some recommendations later in this article). These betting sites can have different betting markets, which are the types of bets that you can make.
Examples of Kabaddi Betting Markets
Below are some examples of kabaddi betting markets.
The Outright Winner
This is the simplest type of bet because it focuses only on the winner of a match or a specific tournament. Betting on the winner of the entire tournament can be risky, but the bookmaker may make the rewards worth the risk.
Handicap Betting
Handicap betting in kabaddi is used when there’s a match between two teams in which one is significantly better than the other. Therefore, there’s a favorite and an underdog. Sportsbooks may apply a handicap to even the odds, making it necessary for the favorite of that match to win by a specific handicap margin. In that case, bettors who wagered on the favorites will win the bet only if the favorite wins by more than that margin.
Consider this example: Team X and Team Y are up against each other, in which Team X is the favorite. Therefore, the bookmaker may decide to set the handicap at -5 for Team X and +5 for Team Y. In that case, Team X will need to win by a margin that’s greater than 5 points for those who bet on that team to win the bet. It’s a method to even the betting odds.
Kabaddi Live Betting
Kabaddi live betting is when people make bets during a live game. Therefore, the bets may be on any specific aspect of the game. For example, there may be a bet on one raider scoring a specific number of points during a game.
Over/Under Bets
These bets pertain to the combined total number of points that both teams make at the end of the game. Thus, you can bet if the points will go over or under the total that the bookmaker sets.
Quick Kabaddi Betting Tips
Below are some tips to keep in mind.
- Only make bets on legal and licensed betting websites.
- Choose sites that have promotions for betting returns when you’re starting out.
- Do your research on any team before placing a bet on it. For example, if you’re betting on the outright tournament winner, then make sure it has been performing well recently.
- Stick to simple betting markets when you’re new to betting on kabaddi to get the hang of it.
Some Answers to Questions about Kabaddi and Betting on It
Here are some answers to questions about kabaddi and betting on the sport.
Which are the best kabaddi teams I should bet on?
While you can bet on any team, you should know which ones are the best to know which teams are likely to win. There are international kabaddi teams and other teams within leagues. Currently (at the time this article was written and published), the top 3 kabaddi teams based on countries are as follows.
- India
- Iran
- Pakistan
The top 3 teams of Season 9 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) are below.
- Dabang Delhi K.C.
- Jaipur Pink Panthers
- Bengal Warriors
Is it worth betting on kabaddi?
Yes, it can be, particularly if you reside in south east Asia. The game is popular in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, so there are many online bookmakers that offer bets on this sport.
What are some good kabaddi betting sites?
Below are some good kabaddi betting sites because they are reliable, have good promotions, and offer a range of betting markets.
- Betway
- 10Cric
- 22 Bet
What’s the best kabaddi betting app?
Betway also has a mobile app to improve the user experience and overall accessibility.
Is kabaddi a national sport?
It is the national sport of Bangladesh.
Is it legal to bet on kabaddi in India?
Yes, it is legal. Just make sure to use licensed betting sites (see recommendations above).
Is kabaddi an Olympic sport?
No, it is not because it does not meet the requirement for the number of countries (set at 75 countries and 4 continents for men and 40 and 3 for women, respectively) that play the sport.
Last Few Words
Betting on kabaddi online is a relatively straightforward process once you get the hang of the sport and the betting markets. Make sure to keep checking betting websites for available promotions because those can make it worth your while.