Cricket Betting Sites

Our US readers probably don't have a whole lot of experience with cricket, but the sport is huge in just about every other country that sends us readers. With leagues around the world and major matchups taking place all the time, there are plenty of opportunities to make a little extra money with the second-most popular sport in the world.

Getting started is as simple as finding a safe cricket betting site that provides you with the options you need as a customer. Our top picks are posted below and you can read on to read more about the selection process.

• Bet365
• William Hill

Things to Consider

We recommend that you always make safety your number one priority when choosing a gambling site. What you should look for is a site that has an established reputation for paying winners and safeguarding customer information. When you have a safe site to do your betting, you can bet with confidence knowing that no matter what may happen, you'll always be paid.

With cricket in particular, we like the big-name sites because they are the most prepared for the international nature of the sport. Just consider for a moment how monumental of a task it is for a site to cater to customers who come from all different parts of the world. These people live in nations that have unique gambling laws, betting currencies, languages, and customs.

Only the largest gambling sites are capable of adequately providing for the needs of such a diverse group of punters. Sites such as Bet365 accept numerous currencies, cater to dozens of languages, and are able to work within the diverse laws that govern gambling around the world. The biggest cricket betting sites never disappoint us in that regard.

Additionally, major betting sites offer the greatest variety in types of wagers. They cover international cricket matches, in-country championships, and other major events with a whole slew of bet types. At the best sites, you can bet on winners and losers, individual batsmen, and much more.

A variety in wagers is nice to have as well. USA-focused betting sites mostly stick to "who will win the match" type of bets. That may be sufficient for the majority of our US readers, but our international readers tend to prefer a greater variety. The biggest international sites take it much further than that with a whole variety of bets such as:

• Match winner
• Top batsman for each team
• To win the toss
• 1st over total runs
• Batsman matches
• Most run outs
• 1st innings lead
• Runs at fall of 1st wicket
• A fifty to be scored in the match

Those are just a few examples of the types of bets you'll find at the largest cricket betting sites. To us, it's a no-brainer. If you have the choice, always go with the large, established site over the smaller, lesser-known site.

In-Play Cricket Betting

The betting doesn't close at the beginning of a match thanks to in-play betting. With in-play betting, you can place bets after the match has gotten underway. Bookmakers that offer in-play betting that follows the game in real time and comes up with bets that you can place on-the-fly with constantly updated odds.

For example, you can watch the first 10 minutes of a match to see how each team is looking, and then make your selection with that knowledge in hand at the current odds. You have to choose carefully because the bookmakers also watch the match and adjust the odds as they see fit. If England gets off to a strong start, any in-play bets you place on them will cost more.

In-play betting is offered for a whole variety of wagers. Prop bets and next batsman wagers are available frequently and allow you to put your knowledge to the ultimate test. You don't get much time to make decisions, but neither does the bookmaker. If you're especially confident in your handicapping skills, in-play betting is full of opportunity.

You've probably already heard, but all the big cricket betting sites have gone mobile by now. All you need is a phone or an iPad and you can place your bets no matter where you are. What's really exciting is combining mobile betting with in-play betting while you're actually in the stands at a major matchup.

Don't Forget Your Bonus

Every cricket site recommended on this page gives a bonus to all new customers. If you don't already have an account at any of these sites, you can sign up and deposit to get a cash bonus added to your account. The more you deposit, the greater the bonus. There's no easier way to add to your bottom line than to try out a new gambling site.

All you need to do is make a deposit and any bonuses offered by the site are yours to keep. You can then bet like normal but with the added benefit of extra cash in your account. Some of the above sites also have running cricket promotions that give you free bets and other rewards in return for betting on major cricket events, downloading the mobile app, and trying other forms of gambling on the site.