Sports betting is an integral part of the Asian online gaming experience although the preferred sports may differ in each country. In 2021, the sports betting market of the Asia-Pacific region topped $21 billion. China, for instance, is the largest betting market worldwide but does not follow the common Western top sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and hockey.
Interestingly, the largest single sport wagered on by the Chinese is table tennis. This game is a national sport with huge competitions at all levels.
The table tennis leagues draw from all walks of life including both male and female teams. All local online betting shops offer full coverage of these tournaments.
Nonetheless, Chinese bettors also have an appetite for other common Asian sports, especially soccer. Soccer is by far the top Asian game with punters making millions in local and international tournaments. Almost all international tournaments and championships are listed on the sports betting lines itinerary of all sportsbooks.
Some of the most known leagues include:
- World Cup Football Leagues
- The EUFA League of Champions
- Asian Soccer Leagues
- FIFA Local and International Asian Leagues.
How to Bet on Soccer in Asia
Asian soccer betting is similar to international standards. Most bets are placed on the moneyline with gamblers choosing a team to win on the field.
The game carries a third option known as a draw, in case no one wins the game. The betting style ideally focuses on a favorite, who is most likely to win, and an underdog that is most prone to lose.
Asians are fans of betting propositions, called ‘props’, that allow more options in the game and offer better odds. A single match can present tens of props lines including which team is most likely to score first, or who will win the coin toss.
Cricket Sports Betting
Another popular sport that lines sports betting odds is cricket. Cricket is the second most played and betted sport in Asian countries and the most common in South Asia.
Countries like India and Pakistan are known for producing famous athletes for the Cricket World Cup which includes Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean. More countries are now getting involved, but the sport remains an Asian game.
Unlike soccer, cricket matches have no limited time and teams may play for an entire day, or in the case of a series may last up to five days. Although there are games known to have limited innings, they still do not create a fixed time. And this limited overs game may last an entire day.
Some writers claim that cricket is similar to baseball but only in the vaguest sense. The differences set these sports worlds apart. Here are five differences between baseball and cricket.
- Cricket uses eleven (11) players compared to nine in baseball.
- There are two batsmen on the cricket mount, but only one on the baseball Homeplate
- Baseball change turns after every three outs while cricket must eliminate ten batsmen before changing. Exceptions may occur in limited overs games.
- Hitting a player with the ball is a positive for the batsmen in baseball and he is sent to first base. However, it is a natural part of cricket, and depending on where the hit occurs, the player may be declared out. This condition is known as leg before wicket. Cricket batsmen use more protective gear in each game.
- Baseball is limited to nine innings divided into top and bottom sets limited to three outs. Cricket has no established limits and all batsmen must be put out before the other team may bat.
American Sports in Asian Betting Odds
Some Western sports have made their way into Asian sports betting, most of which are still young on the ground but have earned tons of fans. One of these games is basketball.
Many people were surprised to see a Chinese basketball player in the NBA, the largest basketball league in the US. Yet, it is a common sport played throughout the world and the years of Michael Jordan were most influential in creating its space on the Asian sports betting system.
The game has grown quickly, with the youth being the principal agent of its integration into Asian societies. Basketball betting has become so popular that even the US college tournament, the NCAA, is highly played.
New local leagues and tournaments have also opened cracks in the once closed Asian betting market. Both local and international sportsbooks now offer basketball odds to Asian players.
The game index has reached the national level as seen in countries such as the Philippines where a national NBA TV channel operates. In addition, one popular Utah Jazz player, Jordan Clarkson, is from the Philippines national basketball team. A level of basketball at the NBA standard.
Another sports betting giant from the Big Four that has made solid inroads in the Asian sports betting market is baseball.
A few years ago, Japan and China sent teams to the Baseball World Series and proved challenging enough to make the news. However, it said more about the Asian sports betting culture and its readiness to adapt. Although it is not Asian-wide, these games will eventually form part of the betting lines.
However, the biggest Asian baseball bettors are the South Koreans. South Koreans bet on baseball in the same way that the USA-based sportsbooks do.
They are keen to bet the moneyline, a runline, or the game total. A poll conducted in 2021 showed that 25% of Koreans favored soccer with 18.8% following baseball for second place.
Notably, baseball has been integrated into the betting lines for years but so has hockey. In the last three decades, it has moved up a notch to become part of punters offerings. Handicappers make a living selling baseball picks alongside soccer and cricket.
Conclusion
Asian sports betting has evolved during the last century opening to more sports besides its core soccer, cricket, and table tennis.
Sites like online-betting.ph offer useful guides, on various sports betting options. Even though some of the largest countries such as China, India, and Japan, still ban sports betting,
Asians continue to bet on major sporting events. As the global economy continues to merge, these markets will eventually regulate sports betting – both online and in local stores.
