IPL 2026: How to Capture $15 Billion in Betting Volume This Spring​

Spring 2026 brings Asia's biggest sporting event for betting operators. The Indian Premier League is scheduled to run from the 26th of March to the 31st of May. In 2025, the final match of the Indian Premier League last season gathered 169 mln TV views and 578 mln on online platforms during the first innings. 2026 promises to be even more massive in terms of audience engagement and bets!

The sports betting market in India is valued at a massive $6.91 billion, growing to a whopping $16.83 billion by 2033. Betting volume for the Indian Premier League is expected to exceed $15 billion, with non-stop action over 10 weeks. The tournament will last two months, but you should start now, with landing pages, creatives, and GEO tests. This guide will help you prepare properly.

The specifics of IPL 2026

The Indian Premier League isn’t just a cricket tournament, it’s India's Super Bowl – a tournament that kicks off as a frenzy over two months, with ten teams competing in a double round-robin (Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kolkata Knight Riders, and six others), with each team playing 14 games, four making it to the playoffs.

Betting companies saw a 38% increase in volume during the opening weekend of the Indian Premier League 2025, compared to the 2024 season, with a 27% increase in new users. This year, the number of matches can reach a stunning 84! The match schedule is yet to be announced – it can be tracked on the Indian Premier League official website.

Tournament setup:

• League Stage – 70 matches, all teams play double matches each

• Playoffs – qualifier 1, eliminator, qualifier 2

• Match times – 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM IST

• Venues – these include various stadiums across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and other major cities of India

In-Play betting primarily focuses on match winner odds, top batsman and bowler bets, and hundreds of live markets, such as runs in the next over, method of next dismissal, total sixes, and powerplay scores. The Twenty20 format is a short game that lasts around 3-4 hours. It covers 12 languages and reaches regional audiences across India and beyond. Here is the top 10 of countries with the largest audiences (approximate numbers):

🇮🇳 India (~800–850 million viewers, ≈70% of total audience)
🇵🇰 Pakistan (~80–90 million, ≈7%)
🇧🇩 Bangladesh (~40–50 million, ≈4%)
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka (~20–25 million, ≈2%)
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates (~15–20 million, ≈1.5%)
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia (~10–15 million, ≈1–1.5%)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom (~8–10 million, ≈1%)
🇦🇺 Australia (~7–8 million, ≈0.6%)
🇿🇦 South Africa (~6–7 million, ≈0.5%)
🇺🇸 United States (~5–7 million, ≈0.5%)

In terms of mobile viewing, there has been a 25% growth in 2025, and a similar increase is expected this year, a vital growth rate for smartphone users.

Why Betting Volume Explodes During IPL

Betting on IPL tournaments experiences significant volume due to three major factors, which complement each other:

1. The sheer volume of matches

In 2024-2025 IPL tournaments, there were 74 games in total. In 2026, organizers may increase their number up to 84 over 67 days of the IPL season, creating a high volume of betting opportunities. This is obviously more continuous than a regular World Cup, which typically has 50-60 games over 45 days. The IPL is designed to keep viewers interested, with doubleheaders on weekends and weekdays that push into prime time. So, there is an increase in the average bets made per user per game, increasing from 3.2 in 2024 to 4.6 in 2025.

        2. Star power and roster drama

It was officially confirmed that MS Dhoni would return to play in IPL 2026, marking his 17th campaign with the Chennai Super Kings. Dhoni is 44 now, and every time he plays, fans who grew up watching him show up. Many of them place their very first bets on CSK – classic emotional betting.

On the other hand, the Mumbai Indians are entering IPL 2026 with the lowest auction budget after retaining 20 players and making strategic buys. Low-budget films often tell compelling underdog stories, and bettors tend to bet on or against them. As many as 350 players were up for grabs in this mini-auction in IPL 2026. Teams like the Knight Riders had a substantial budget to spend, amounting to INR 64.3.

          3. National Pride vs. Club Loyalty

Unlike national teams, IPL enthusiasts are grouped by team. While a Maharashtra-based Mumbai Indians fan may be willing to place a bet against Chennai, a Bengali from Bengal who supports the KKR team will place a bet on the team regardless of the odds. The diversity of loyalties makes for an unwise but profitable betting habit. 

Localized ads perform better than ones with English, so make creatives in standard Hindi.

Launch Prep: What to Build Before March 26

However, betting campaigns do not begin on match day. They, in fact, commence as early as March when schedules are announced.

There are 3 stages:

February: Setting up tracking, offers, and GEO targeting for India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, UAE.

Early March: Serving pre-season creatives for “predict the winner” and “early bird offers.” Targeting users searching for “ipl 2026 schedule” and “ipl teams 2026.”

Late March: Serving match-day campaigns with live odds, player props, and offers.

It’s crucial to run ads on game day, right before and during the match. On competition days, betting traffic can skyrocket by 2x, 5x, and even 10x – it's important to have creatives prepared in advance to ensure you don't miss out.

🔍Check local regulations and compliance angles in our latest article iGaming in India 2026: bans and trends

Creative Strategy: What Converts

IPL betting advertising creatives are effective if they align with the thinking pattern of cricket fans during a match.

1. Real-time moment marketing

Has a batsman hit three consecutive sixes? Send a notification – "Next over: Will RCB score 20+ runs? Bet now – live odds." Timing is everything. Fans get most involved when the drama peaks.

The success of Dream11's campaign for the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League hinged on nostalgia and comedy elements featuring Bollywood celebrities. But for betting apps, it's different. Don’t spend on celebrity endorsements unless absolutely necessary. 

Instead, try:

• Using match-related themes – "Mumbai vs Chennai – Dhoni's last dance? Bet on CSK to win at 2.1x"

• Using player-related themes – "Virat Kohli to score 50+? Get INR 500 free bet"

Also, remember that the choice of language depends on the team:

2. Bonus offers related to match events

"Bet INR 1000, Get INR 300 free if your team scores 200+" – here, the offer is not dependent on winning.

"First ball of the match – predict dot, 1, 2, 4, or 6 – win bonus credits" – is an example where fans are involved even before the match begins.

3. Mobile-first landing pages

With a 25% rise in mobile traffic, the landing page should load in under 2 seconds, or the click is lost. Remove all fields – name, phone, deposit. Get the user to the odds pages quickly.

It is essential to test everything manually and personally review how the funnel performs on an actual device. In Asian markets, especially, certain steps may not work as expected due to device-specific features, browser behavior, or local technical nuances. Monitor the user flow in real time while the campaign is live, making sure every step works properly, and nothing breaks or drops off. 

For example:

Ad click – LP – “RCB vs MI tonight – live odds” – One-tap registration through phone – Odds page with first deposit bonus of INR 500 filled in

Indian users are influenced by:

• Logos of UPI payment systems – Paytm, Google Pay, PhonePe

• Minimum deposit of INR 100

• Hindi or regional language toggle

• Proof of payouts in the form of screenshots

Use action images of cricketers from previous matches in the IPL – Dhoni, Kohli, Rohit – rather than generic images of cricket matches. Authenticity sells.

Visuals matter: use real shots of IPL stars, not just sports equipment. Faces and true emotions seem more appealing. 

4. Meme and social-first formats

In terms of social traffic, X, Meta, and TikTok are the best sources. Brands that were quick on their feet with memes during the twists and turns of the matches in 2025 scored big on organic reach.

For betting sites, it may be difficult to be funny, but the ability to react quickly is essential. Speed is more important than quality – post within 10 minutes of a big event or don’t post at all.

Traffic Formats for IPL Betting

Most often, push notifications are used for live matches. If a user has opted in to cricket updates, they will likely click "CSK vs MI starting in 15 minutes – lock in your bets," with a CTR 3 to 5 times higher than for display ads.

In-page target mobile users on iOS, where push notifications don’t work without opt-in. These ads cost $0.003 per click and cover India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and other cricket-loving nations.

Native ads promote the betting experience before it begins. Send out advertorials such as "5 Sleeper Picks for IPL 2026" with a link to your odds page. Cricket fans love reading long-form content between matches, and native ads match this behavior.

Popunders work especially well for Tier 2–3 GEOs. CPM typically ranges from $0.50 to $2.00, while CPC is usually between $0.01 and $0.03.

Recommended targeting:

• GEO: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, RSA, UAE, UK, USA.

• Device: Mobile-first (75%+ of IPL viewership on smartphones).

• OS: focus on Android 10+ and 11+.

• Time: 2:00-11:00 PM IST (pre-match and live).

• Language: localized creatives outperform English in regional markets.

For broader sports betting strategy and funnel optimization, check our sports events marketing guide.

Start Now, Scale Through May

IPL 2026 will run from March 26 to May 31. That's 67 days to grab the betting volume. The sooner you start, the more users you'll add to your retargeting pool for the high-stakes games in April.

With EVADAV, you can use all four formats to optimize your cricket betting campaigns: Push for live engagement, In-page for iOS users, Native for educated users, and Popunders for volume testing. We also offer quick moderation to launch IPL campaigns the very same day. Your personal manager will help you adjust targeting as the tournament goes on (and provide a promo code if you ask).

Just a few weeks left until the first game! Create your landing pages now, add your creatives to rotation, and set up your GEO tests before the schedule is released.

🏏 Launch your IPL 2026 cricket betting campaigns with EVADAV and make spring your best quarter

Cricket is a way of life in India: dozens of games attract over a billion global viewers and generate significant betting volumes. Your cricket betting campaigns should reflect that passion!