How we test betting sites and apps in India

We take the licence number from the site's footer and look it up on the regulator's own register, usually Curaçao, Malta or the Isle of Man. The licence has to be active and issued to the same company that runs the site.

• A number that doesn't exist, has expired or has been revoked ends the review on the spot.
• So does a licence issued to a different company from the one named in the site's terms.
• We note the regulator on every review so you can run the same check yourself.

We complete KYC with real documents before we test any payments, and we time how long approval takes. A good site tells you what it needs up front. A site that asks for new documents only when you try to withdraw fails.

• We record which documents were requested: PAN, Aadhaar, bank statement or a selfie check.
• Sites that use KYC to stall a payout are removed from our lists.

We deposit ₹500, ₹2,000, ₹10,000 from our own bank accounts using PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm. Those three amounts match a small first deposit, a usual top-up and a big weekend. We log whether each one worked, how long it took and how many taps it needed.

• Different UPI apps can route through different payment gateways, so a site that works with one can fail with another.
• In apps, a deposit that bounces you to a mobile browser is flagged even when the money arrives.
• On websites, the hop out to your UPI app and back is normal. We judge how smoothly it returns you.
• We also check NetBanking where the site offers it.

We withdraw ₹1,000, ₹5,000, ₹20,000 to an Indian bank account and time each one from the moment we press withdraw until the money shows in the bank. We do this between 7 pm to 11 pm IST during the IPL, when payment systems are busiest. Anything slower than 48 hours fails.

• A quick payout on a Tuesday morning doesn't make up for a slow one on a Friday night, so we test the evening.
• A withdrawal that never arrives removes the site from every list we publish.
• Payout times go on the review page so you know what to expect.

We install every app on a mid-range Android phone and an iPhone, because most readers don't use flagship phones. We time how fast each app opens, note its install size, and use it through a full live IPL session to see if it crashes or slows down.

• Opening from cold should take under 3 seconds. Between 3 and 5 seconds is flagged; over 5 fails.
• Install sizes over 100 MB are flagged for readers with limited storage.
• We check battery drain over a 30-minute live session and whether push alerts arrive on time.
• Hindi has to work across the whole app, not just the home screen.

We place in-play bets during real IPL and international matches and watch how fast the odds update after each ball. If prices take more than 3 seconds to refresh, or bets keep getting rejected because odds moved, the site fails this test.

• We watch for markets that get suspended for long stretches at the end of an over.
• Live streaming and scorecards are noted where the site has them.

For each site we look at an IPL game, an international match and a domestic fixture, before the start and while it's live. We check which markets exist and compare the match-winner price against at least five other sites for the same game.

• Markets we look for: match winner, toss, top batter and bowler, session runs, over-by-over and ball-by-ball.
• Domestic coverage matters to us. A site that only prices the IPL loses marks.
• Odds margins are worked out from the prices on offer, so you can see who pays the most over a season.

We contact live chat in English and in Hindi during evening hours and ask three real questions: a deposit that hasn't shown up, how long a withdrawal will take, and what a bonus rule means. We time the first useful reply and check that the answer is correct.

• Auto-replies don't count as a response.
• Machine-translated Hindi or English-only support is a fail.
• On websites we also try email and expect a proper answer within 24 hours.

We read the full bonus terms, including wagering requirements, minimum odds, game limits and expiry dates. Then we switch on deposit limits and self-exclusion to make sure they work. If we can't explain a bonus to you in one sentence, we say so in the review.

• Hidden withdrawal caps on bonus winnings are called out.
• A site without working deposit limits or self-exclusion is not recommended.