Sports Betting on 99exch: Football, Tennis, Kabaddi and More, Explained

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By Raja Venu · Reviewed by the 99exch.in desk team · Updated 17 October 2026 · Editorial policy · 18+

What "sports betting" means on the 99exch panel

On the 99exch panel, sports other than cricket sit in the same menu, use the same balance and follow the same exchange principles: one user backs an outcome, another lays it, and the platform matches them. What changes from sport to sport is everything around those principles. Each sport has its own market types, its own way of settling bets when something unusual happens, its own pace of in-play price movement and, above all, its own depth of money waiting to be matched.

That last point matters more than most newcomers expect. A cricket match involving India can carry enough opposing money that a sensible stake matches immediately at a fair price. A second-division football match in a small European league, a qualifying-round tennis match or an early-season kabaddi fixture may have only a handful of users trading it. The screen looks the same in both cases, but the quality of the prices does not.

This guide therefore treats each sport on its own terms. It explains the markets you are most likely to see, the settlement rules that cause the most confusion, how liquidity varies, and the practical habits that help when you move beyond cricket. If you are new to exchange betting altogether, start with the back versus lay explainer and come back here afterwards; this page assumes you already know what backing, laying and liability mean.

One clarification before going further: 99exch.in is an independent information website and ID desk. We issue and support IDs on the panel, handle deposits and withdrawals for those IDs, and answer questions over WhatsApp. We do not run the exchange, set its prices or decide how its markets settle. Where this page describes settlement rules, treat it as a guide to what is common; the rules panel on each market is what actually applies.

The legal position before anything else

Since 1 May 2026, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 and its Rules have been in force in India. The Act prohibits online money games, a category that covers online betting on sport, and it treats offering, advertising and facilitating payments for such games as offences. The sport you choose makes no difference to that position: football, tennis and kabaddi markets are treated the same way as cricket.

We are not lawyers and nothing on this page is legal advice. If Indian law applies to you, assume that taking part may be unlawful and take independent legal advice before doing anything. Our legal section sets out the position in more detail. If you live outside India, the law where you live applies, and many countries regulate or restrict online betting.

Football: the markets you will see most

Football is the busiest non-cricket sport on most exchange panels, and it introduces two ideas that cricket users rarely meet: the draw as a genuine third outcome, and goal-based markets that ignore the result entirely. The main market types are described below in the order you will usually find them on a match page.

Match odds: three outcomes, not two

The match odds market lists the home team, the away team and the draw. Each is a separate selection with its own back and lay prices. Because three outcomes share the probability, prices are generally higher than in a two-way cricket market; a closely matched game may show both teams around 2.6 to 3.0 and the draw a little higher.

The draw changes how laying works. Laying the home team means you win if the away team wins or if the match is drawn, so you are covering two outcomes against one. That makes laying a favourite in football structurally different from laying a favourite in a two-way market, and it is the reason many football traders think in terms of "home not to win" rather than "away to win".

Over and under goals

Goal-line markets ask whether the total number of goals scored by both teams will be above or below a line, most commonly 2.5. Because the line ends in .5, there is no tie: three or more goals settles as over, two or fewer as under. Panels often list several lines (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and so on), and the prices on each line move constantly in-play as time passes without a goal, because every goalless minute reduces the chance of the higher totals.

Both teams to score

A simple yes-or-no market on whether each side scores at least one goal. It settles on the score at the end of normal time. It is popular because it does not require a view on who wins, only on whether both attacks can break through.

Correct score

Correct score markets list individual scorelines such as 1-0, 2-1 or 1-1, usually with an "any other" selection for unlisted results. Prices are long because the chance of any single scoreline is small. Liquidity is concentrated on the most likely scores; unusual scorelines may have very little money available, so prices there can be unreliable.

Asian handicap, in brief

An Asian handicap gives one team a virtual head start or deficit, expressed in goals, to balance an uneven match. With a half-goal line such as -0.5 or +1.5 there is always a winner. With a whole-goal line such as -1, a result that exactly matches the handicap usually voids the bet and returns the stake. Quarter-goal lines split the stake across two adjacent lines, which can produce half-wins or half-losses. Not every panel lists every handicap on every match, so treat this as background for when you do see one, and read the market rules before using it.

Football settlement and in-play: the 90-minute rule, suspensions and timing

The single most common football misunderstanding is when a market settles. Standard football markets settle on the score at the end of normal time: 90 minutes plus whatever stoppage time the referee adds. Extra time and penalty shoot-outs are not included unless the market's name or rules say so.

That rule produces outcomes that feel wrong in the moment. In a knockout tie that finishes 1-1 after 90 minutes, a back bet on the draw wins, even if one team goes on to win in extra time or on penalties and progresses to the next round. Separate markets, often called "to qualify" or "to lift the trophy", exist for users who want to bet on progression rather than the 90-minute result.

A few other football situations are worth knowing:

• Abandoned or postponed matches. Markets on a match that does not start, or is abandoned before completion, are commonly voided, although some panels allow a short window for rescheduled fixtures. Markets that were already decided before an abandonment, such as a first-half goal line, may stand.
• Venue changes. If a match moves to a different stadium, some rules void bets and others do not. The market rules state which applies.
• Disallowed goals. Markets settle on the official result, so a goal ruled out by the referee or the video assistant does not count, even if prices briefly reacted to it.

Football in-play: goals, suspensions and timing

In-play football markets are suspended whenever something significant happens: a goal, a penalty award, a red card or a video review. While suspended, no bets can be placed or matched. When the market reopens, prices have usually moved sharply to reflect the new situation, and any unmatched bets you left in the queue may have been cancelled automatically, depending on the panel's settings.

Two things follow from this. First, there is no advantage in trying to bet at the moment a goal goes in; the market is closed precisely to prevent that. Second, the time-decay effect in goal markets is steady and predictable: as the clock runs down without a goal, under prices shorten and over prices drift. Users who back over 2.5 early and then watch a goalless first half often find their position has lost value even though nothing has "happened".

Live streams and data feeds also run behind real time. What you see on a stream may be several seconds behind what the market already knows. Our page on in-play markets on 99exch live explains latency and bet delay in more detail; the short version is that reacting to what you see on screen is rarely a winning plan.

Tennis: no draw, fast swings, and the retirement question

Tennis is a two-outcome sport, which makes its match odds market easier to read than football's. It is also one of the most volatile in-play sports on any exchange, because the scoring system concentrates importance into a few key points. A break of serve can move a player's price dramatically, and a break back can reverse it within minutes.

The main tennis markets

• Match winner. Who wins the match. Usually the deepest tennis market and available in-play.
• Set betting. The exact score in sets, such as 2-0 or 2-1 in a best-of-three match, or 3-1 in a best-of-five Grand Slam men's match.
• Set winner. Who wins a specific set, often traded in-play.
• Total games. An over or under line on the total number of games played in the match.

Serve dynamics and why prices swing

In most professional tennis the server is favoured to win each game, especially in the men's game and on faster surfaces. That means a break of serve, the receiver winning a game, is a significant event, and markets price it accordingly. It also means that a player who is a break down is not as far behind as the price might suggest if the opponent's serve is weak. Users who understand this tend to avoid chasing a price immediately after a break, when the market's reaction can be at its most extreme.

Surfaces and formats

Tennis is played on hard courts, clay and grass, and the surface changes the game. Faster surfaces such as grass tend to favour big servers and produce more tie-breaks, while slower clay courts lengthen rallies and make breaks of serve more common. Format matters too: best-of-five matches at the men's Grand Slams give a stronger player more time to recover from a slow start than best-of-three matches do, which is one reason upsets are somewhat less frequent in the longer format. None of this makes any result predictable, but it explains why the same two players can be priced differently from one tournament to the next.

Retirement rules vary, so read them

Players retire injured mid-match far more often in tennis than in team sports. Panels settle retirements in different ways: some void all bets if the match is not completed, some settle match bets once a set has been completed, and some settle once the first ball has been served. The rule applied is shown in the market's rules panel. If you are laying a heavy favourite, remember that a retirement may void your bet rather than win it, and plan your liability accordingly. If you are unsure which rule applies, our desk can point you to the rules text, but the settlement decision belongs to the exchange.

Kabaddi: momentum, all-outs and thin markets

Kabaddi markets appear mainly during the Pro Kabaddi League season, with occasional international fixtures. The usual markets are match winner and a total points line, sometimes with handicap-style point spreads.

Kabaddi is high-scoring and strongly momentum-driven. An "all out", when one team eliminates every opposing player, awards bonus points and can swing a match quickly, so a team several points behind is rarely out of contention. In-play prices therefore move in sudden steps rather than smoothly.

Kabaddi scoring also rewards specialist knowledge. Raiders who consistently score, defenders who make tackles under pressure, and the tactical use of a "do-or-die" raid all influence outcomes in ways that a casual viewer may not notice. Team form can change quickly across a long league season as injuries and rotation take effect, so last season's standings are a weak guide to this season's prices.

The bigger practical issue is liquidity. Kabaddi attracts far less exchange money than cricket or major football, so a larger stake may only part-match at your chosen price, and the gap between back and lay prices can be wide. If you follow kabaddi closely, use smaller stakes and be prepared to wait for a fill or accept a less attractive price.

Basketball, horse racing and other sports

Depending on the season, the panel may also list basketball, horse racing and a rotating selection of other sports. Their markets follow familiar patterns, with a few sport-specific rules.

• Basketball. Typical markets are the moneyline (outright winner), the point spread (a handicap on points) and totals (an over or under line on combined points). Unlike football, basketball markets usually include overtime. Scoring is continuous, so in-play markets suspend and reopen frequently, and placing live bets can feel slower.
• Horse racing. Each runner is a separate selection. Win markets pay only if the horse finishes first; place markets pay if it finishes within the number of places defined for that race. Non-runners are usually removed before the off, and prices on remaining runners may be adjusted, often through a reduction factor applied to matched bets. Racing rules are detailed, so read them before betting on an unfamiliar race type.
• Other sports. Volleyball, table tennis, esports and others may appear from time to time, often with very thin liquidity. Treat displayed prices on these markets with particular caution.

Liquidity by sport, and why thin markets mislead

Liquidity, the amount of money available to match against, is the most important practical difference between sports on an exchange. It determines how close the back and lay prices sit, how much you can stake without moving the price, and how reliable the displayed odds are as a guide to the real probability. The table below gives a general picture; actual depth varies match by match and changes as kick-off or the start of play approaches.

Why prices on thin markets can mislead

On a deep market, the back and lay prices are the result of many users disagreeing and meeting in the middle, so the displayed odds are a reasonable estimate of the true chance. On a thin market, a single user can set the price. If one person asks for 4.0 on a team that most informed observers would price at 3.0, and nobody else is trading, 4.0 is what you see on screen.

That cuts both ways. Sometimes a thin market offers a genuinely generous price because nobody has corrected it yet. More often, the person setting the price knows something the casual observer does not, such as late team news, an injury or local conditions, and the apparently attractive price is a trap. A useful rule of thumb is that the less money a market has matched, the less you should trust its prices and the smaller your stake should be.

Thin markets also make it harder to exit a position. If you back a selection and later want to lay it to lock in a profit or cut a loss, there may be nobody on the other side at a sensible price. Before you enter a thin market, ask yourself whether you are comfortable holding the bet until settlement, because that may be your only option.

Reading settlement rules sport by sport

Every market has a rules panel, usually behind a small information icon. It is short, and reading it before betting on an unfamiliar sport prevents most disputes. The table below summarises the situations that cause the most questions; it describes common practice, not a guarantee of how any particular market settles.

If a settlement looks wrong to you, note the market name, your stake, the odds and the time you placed the bet, and send them to your desk. The desk can explain the rule and raise a genuine error with the platform, but it cannot overturn a settlement that followed the market's published rules.

Time zones: when non-cricket sports happen in India

Much of the world's most-traded football and tennis takes place in Europe and the Americas, which shifts it into the Indian evening, late night and early morning. A few practical notes help:

• European football. Weekend league matches in England and Europe commonly fall between about 5:30 pm and 1:30 am IST, depending on the kick-off slot and whether Europe is on summer or winter time. Midweek European club competition matches often start after midnight IST.
• Clock changes. European clocks change twice a year, but Indian Standard Time does not, so the same kick-off slot shifts by an hour in IST between summer and winter.
• Tennis. Tournaments run across many time zones; Australian events fall in the Indian morning and afternoon, European events in the afternoon and evening, and American events late at night or early morning.
• Kabaddi. Pro Kabaddi League matches are played in India in the evening, so timing is convenient.

The panel normally displays scheduled times in IST. Late-night betting deserves extra caution: tiredness makes impulsive decisions more likely, and desk response times for deposits and withdrawals can be slower overnight than during the day.

Football side markets: half-time, corners and cards

Beyond the main markets, a busy football match may carry a range of side markets. They are useful to understand even if you never use them, because they behave differently from match odds.

• Half-time result and half-time goals. These settle on the score when the referee blows for half-time. They are shorter-lived than full-match markets and can be quite liquid on major fixtures.
• Half-time/full-time. A combined market on the result at both half-time and full-time, such as "draw/home". With nine possible combinations, prices are long and liquidity is usually concentrated on the most likely few.
• Corners and cards. Over and under lines on the number of corners or bookings in a match. These depend heavily on the referee, the teams' styles and the game state, and rules on what counts, for example whether a card shown to a substitute or a coach is included, vary by market.
• Next goal and goalscorer markets. Where available, these settle on the official record. Own goals are often treated differently from ordinary goals, so check the rules before betting on a named player.

As a general principle, the further a market sits from the main result, the thinner its liquidity and the more its settlement depends on detailed rules. Side markets can be interesting, but they are not where a newcomer should start.

Common mistakes when moving from cricket to other sports

Most users who open football or tennis markets on the panel arrive from cricket. The habits that serve them well in cricket do not always transfer, and the same handful of mistakes come up again and again in questions to the desk.

Forgetting the draw

Cricket users are used to thinking of a match as one side against the other. In football, a lay of one team covers both the opponent winning and the draw, and a back of one team loses to both. Users who lay a team expecting a two-way outcome are sometimes surprised by how much the draw affects their position.

Assuming extra time counts

In a cup tie, a back bet on a team that eventually goes through on penalties can still lose, because the 90-minute result was a draw. This is the most common football settlement complaint, and it is entirely covered by the market rules.

Treating every price as equally reliable

In cricket involving India, the displayed price on the main market is usually a fair reflection of the money behind it. On a lower-division football match or an early-round tennis match, it may reflect one user's opinion. Checking the matched volume before staking is a habit worth building.

Betting on sports you do not follow

Many users know cricket deeply: pitches, players, team news, the effect of dew. Few bring the same depth to a football league or a tennis tour. Betting on a sport because it happens to be on, rather than because you understand it, is a reliable way to pay the margin and commission without any compensating insight.

Reacting to the stream

Live streams lag behind the data the market uses. By the time you see a goal or a break of serve, the market has usually already suspended and repriced. Plans built on reacting faster than the market rarely work.

A pre-match routine that works across sports

Good habits travel well between sports. Before staking on any non-cricket market, a short routine catches most avoidable mistakes:

1. Confirm the market type. Are you in match odds, a goal line, a handicap or a set market? Read the market name in full.
2. Open the rules panel. Check how the market settles in unusual situations, especially extra time in football and retirements in tennis.
3. Check matched volume. If very little has been matched, treat the price with caution and reduce your stake.
4. Check the team or player news. Confirmed line-ups in football and late withdrawals in tennis move prices more than anything else.
5. Read the bet slip before confirming. Make sure it shows a back when you meant to back, and check the potential profit or liability figure.
6. Decide in advance what you will do in-play. If you plan to trade out, set the price you would accept before the event starts, not during a suspension.

Staking and record keeping when you bet on several sports

Spreading activity across several sports makes it easier to lose track of what you have staked and what you have won or lost. Two habits help.

The first is a single budget. Decide one monthly entertainment budget that covers all sports and the casino together, and set a maximum stake per bet as a small fraction of it. Treat sports you know less well with smaller stakes than cricket, because your edge, if any, is likely to be smaller and the markets thinner. Our bankroll management guide explains stake sizing in more depth; the principles apply to every sport.

The second is a simple record. The panel's statement and profit-and-loss report show every bet, but they do not group results by sport in a way that answers the useful question: where am I actually winning or losing? A basic spreadsheet or notebook with the date, sport, market, stake, odds and result, reviewed weekly, tends to reveal patterns quickly. Many users discover that one sport they enjoy is steadily costing them money, which is valuable information.

If you are new to a sport on the exchange, a demo ID lets you learn its markets and settlement quirks with virtual points before risking real money.

Practicalities: one ID, one balance, one desk

You do not need a separate ID for each sport. The same username and balance work across cricket, football, tennis, kabaddi and the casino lobby, and the same desk handles deposits, withdrawals and questions for all of them. Deposits at this desk start at ₹500 by UPI or NetBanking and ₹1,000 by IMPS or bank transfer, and an ordinary daytime withdrawal usually arrives within 15 to 30 minutes, though it can be slower on busy evenings or during bank outages. The payment methods page has the full details.

Points reserved as exposure on open bets in any sport reduce what you can withdraw until those markets settle. If you have a long-running position, such as a tournament winner market in football or tennis, remember that the exposure stays frozen until the tournament ends.

If you do not yet have an ID, the registration guide explains how the process works. If you are cricket-focused, the online cricket ID page covers that sport in more depth.

Playing responsibly across sports

More sports mean more opportunities to bet at any hour of the day, and that is exactly why limits matter. The availability of a football match at midnight or a tennis match at dawn is not a reason to bet on it. Warning signs that betting is becoming a problem include betting on sports you do not follow because nothing else is on, staking more to recover losses, betting late at night when you would otherwise be asleep, and hiding activity from people close to you.

This desk can apply a deposit cap, a time-out from 24 hours to six weeks, or a longer self-exclusion on request, and it can close an ID permanently. Free, confidential support is available from the government's Tele-MANAS service on 14416. Our responsible gaming page explains each option.

Frequently asked questions

Which sports can I bet on with a 99exch ID?

Besides cricket, the panel usually lists football, tennis and kabaddi, and depending on the season basketball, horse racing and other sports. The same ID and balance cover all of them, along with the casino lobby. Availability of individual events depends on the panel at the time.

Do football bets include extra time and penalties?

Standard football markets settle on the score after 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalty shoot-outs are not included unless the market name or rules say so. Separate to-qualify markets exist if you want to bet on which team progresses.

What happens to my tennis bet if a player retires?

It depends on the market rules. Some panels void bets if the match is not completed, some settle once a set has been played, and some settle once play starts. Check the rules panel on the market before betting, particularly if you are laying a favourite.

Why are football markets suspended during a match?

Markets suspend briefly after goals, penalty awards, red cards and video reviews so that nobody can bet at outdated prices. When the market reopens, prices reflect the new situation, and unmatched bets may have been cancelled depending on the panel settings.

What is an Asian handicap?

It gives one team a virtual goal advantage or deficit to balance an uneven match. Half-goal lines always produce a winner, while whole-goal lines can void the bet if the result exactly matches the handicap. Read the market rules before using one.

Why is it hard to get my kabaddi bet matched?

Kabaddi attracts much less exchange money than cricket or major football, so there may not be enough opposing stake at your price. Use smaller stakes, accept a slightly less attractive price, or wait for the market to build closer to the start.

Can I trust the odds on small leagues and niche sports?

Be cautious. On thin markets a single user can set the displayed price, and it may be far from the true chance, often because that user knows something you do not. The less money a market has matched, the smaller your stake should be.

What time are European football matches in India?

Weekend matches in England and Europe usually fall between about 5:30 pm and 1:30 am IST, and midweek European club matches often start after midnight IST. Timings shift by an hour when European clocks change, because Indian Standard Time does not.

Do I need a separate ID for football or tennis?

No. One ID covers every sport and the casino on the panel, with a single shared balance. Deposits, withdrawals and support for all sports go through the same desk chat.

Is betting on football or tennis legal in India?

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 and its Rules, in force since 1 May 2026, prohibit online money games, including online sports betting, across India. The sport makes no difference. We are not lawyers; take independent legal advice if Indian law applies to you.

How should I budget if I bet on several sports?

Use one monthly budget for all sports and the casino combined, with a maximum stake per bet set as a small fraction of it. Stake less on sports you know less well, and keep a simple record by sport to see where you are winning or losing.

Related 99exch guides

• Online cricket ID guide
• In-play markets on 99exch live
• Back vs lay explained
• Bankroll management guide
• Practise with a demo ID
• Deposits and withdrawals
• Responsible gaming