India is the next target for Online Bookmakers

It would appear that India is the next big market for online gaming and with more than 1.2 billion population it could be very large indeed. Betting in India is restricted at the moment to Horse racing and two casinos in Goa and the state of Sikkim but it is Sikkim that is pushing ahead with online gaming and is reported to be offering three licenses to be available before the 2010 World Cup. Any company that is awarded a license will be able to take bets from across the whole of India so the first ones could be rewarding.  Overseas companies have to be working with an Indian partner in order to get a license and we understand that Betfair and William Hill are among about 13 companies chasing the licenses and are in discussions with respective Indian partners. Others are believed to include 888.com, bwin and Ladbrokes in fact it is only Paddy Power who have openly said that their priorities lie elsewhere for the time being. After their entry into the Australian market through Sportsbet it is believed that France may be the next target but all online bookmakers are still very eager to see what happens in the US.