In 2022, the total revenue for online games in Pakistan was projected to reach US$1.22 million, according to data from Statista. Now, with an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.81 percent in 2022-2027, the revenue for online games will hit US$1.92 million by 2027. Meanwhile, the number of downloads in Pakistan’s online games market is expected to become 8.54 million downloads in 2022, with an average revenue per download of US$0.14, proving that Pakistan is a lucrative market for online games. On a global level, the sports betting market is also growing significantly. In 2021, the sports betting market size was US$66.21 billion, reaching US$83.65 billion in 2022. With a CAGR of 10.3 percent in 2023-2030, the sports betting market size is expected to reach US$182.12 billion in 2030. One of the driving factors behind this growth in the sports betting market is the popularity of connected devices. Another reason is the improvement of digital infrastructure around sports betting. The changing preferences of customers are another driving force behind the growth of online gambling. With the increasing number of smartphone users, more people are turning to online gambling platforms because they are convenient and accessible. Online gambling started to become popular in the early 2000s. Since then, it has evolved into an industry with a market value of US$61.6 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach US$114.4 billion by 2028, according to data from Statista. Established in 2017, Stake.com quickly became the leading platform in the online gambling space. One of the reasons behind Stake.com’s popularity is its focus on crypto betting, which appeals to the ever-growing number of crypto enthusiasts. While Stake.com also offers other payment methods, it primarily utilizes crypto such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. Another factor contributing to Stake.com’s rapid growth in the online gambling industry is its ability to obtain licenses from various authorities, enhancing its legitimacy. Lastly, Stake.com offers a variety of games in its online gaming house and numerous sports options for the sportsbook. Hyping up cricket games with sports betting The national sport of Pakistan is hockey; however, cricket is certainly one of the most popular sports in the country. There are many reasons why cricket is popular in Pakistan, one of which is its affordability, making it accessible to everyone. People can play cricket anywhere, whether in stadiums, parks, or empty lots. Pakistan’s rivalry with India in cricket plays a vital role in the sport’s popularity among Pakistanis. Cricket also enjoys significant sponsorship in Pakistan, making it a viable career option for many Pakistanis, supported by multiple cricket academies in the country. Lastly, cricket’s popularity among Pakistanis is further bolstered by its promotion in schools and colleges. Since cricket is popular in Pakistan, it has led to the rise in popularity of sports gambling. After all, sports betting can enhance the entertainment value of watching sports matches, such as cricket. Sports fans often engage in betting as a friendly competition with other fans. However, sports enthusiasts should choose a trustworthy sports betting platform, such as Stake.com. In addition to a username and password, Stake.com also provides an extra layer of security by implementing Two-Factor Authentication, helping players ensure their Stake account is safe from unauthorized or illegal access. Stake.com offers two services: online games and sports betting. In the sports betting section, users can find various sports to bet on, ranging from cricket to other popular sports like soccer and basketball. For cricket enthusiasts, Stake.com even offers the opportunity to watch major cricket matches for free. How to bet on Stake.com Placing a bet on an online gambling platform, such as Stake.com, is easy. The first step is to create a free account, followed by making a deposit. In this process, you can choose from local currencies or cryptocurrencies to add to your account. Stake.com supports numerous cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and others. Before placing any cricket bets, it’s essential to understand the different types of odds, as bets come in various types. One of the most popular bets is the handicap bet, where you can wager on your favorite team. However, since they are the favorites, they must overcome a handicap for you to win. There are two types of handicap bets: Asian Handicap and European. Another popular type of bet is 1×2. In this type of bet, you can choose one of three possible outcomes: 1 for the home team to win, x for a draw, and 2 for the away team to win. For sports fans who love to bet big, futures and outrights might be suitable. Placing a futures or outright bet means betting on a team to win a sports event at the end of a season, a league, or a championship. Since futures bets cover an entire tournament or league, they usually offer a higher return. However, they also take longer to resolve because the bet is not decided in the upcoming game week. If you feel confident in your knowledge of your favorite team’s scoring abilities, you can choose goal/point bets. Alternatively, if you are familiar with the performance of both teams in the match, you can opt for over/under bets. This type of bet allows you to wager on the total number of points in the game, predicting whether it will be above or below a certain number. If you are certain that you can predict the outcome of a match, you can place a Correct Score bet. Another option is to choose a winning margin bet, where you guess the difference in goals or points between the winning team and the opposing team. Lastly, there are Proposition & Player Props bets. Proposition betting, commonly known as prop betting, is a type of bet that is not directly tied to the outcome of an event or match. Instead, it allows you to wager on various aspects of a team or individual athlete’s performance. Tips and strategies in sports betting Sports betting does not only rely on luck but also the bettors’ knowledge of teams’ performance. Having a betting strategy can help maximize your chances of winning. So, if you want to get involved in cricket betting online, you need to research the teams’ stats in the match, including their past performance and players’ injury records. While there’s nothing wrong with betting on your favorite team to show support, analyzing bet options and the latest odds can help you pick which bet to choose. Sports fans often bet on major events like the ICC Cricket World Cup. However, such events don’t occur frequently, so betting on smaller events is also an option. Stake.com offers various cricket bets, from international matches like the ICC Cricket World Cup League and T10 European Cricket League to national matches, like the Pakistan Super League and Plunket Shield in New Zealand. For users who enjoy placing multiple bets, Stake.com offers the Bet Builder function. This feature allows bettors to place multiple selections in one betting slip for the same game. Another tip for sports betting is to combine pre-match and live betting tactics. Placing bets before and during an event has its advantages. Additionally, quarter/half/full-time bets are quite popular. In this type of bet, you can wager on the outcomes of a match in quarters or halves. Benefits of live betting At Stake.com, you can place bets on upcoming events or during the events while watching the match via the sportsbook platform’s live streaming services. Placing a wager during the event opens up possibilities for certain types of bets, such as halftime or quarter-time points. However, the odds for bets placed during the event tend to be more fluctuating than those for pre-match bets. If you prefer more stable odds, you should consider pre-match betting. With pre-match betting, you place your bet before the event starts, allowing you to conduct research for the upcoming match. Unlike the odds during the match, the odds for pre-match wagers are less fluctuating. Stake.com offers live streaming of various sports events, which you can access for free with a Stake account. The process of live streaming via Stake.com is simple. All you need to do is visit Stake.com and navigate to the live events tab. From there, you can select the sports you want to watch, whether it is soccer, basketball, or other sports. If you begin watching a match that has already started, you can view the scores along with the live fixtures and odds. VIP members and other bonuses Stake offers a VIP membership program you can join by betting on the site. Wagering US$10,000 on Stake earns you Bronze level VIP membership, with four tiers in total: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum I-III. The more you bet, the higher your tier and bonuses. For example, Bronze members get monthly, level-up, rakeback, and weekly bonuses. Silver and Gold tier members receive these bonuses plus bonus growth, while Platinum tier members also enjoy daily bonuses/reloads. In addition to VIP membership, Stake offers various bonuses. For instance, NBA – Double Winnings doubles your winnings, up to US$100, if your selected team wins and meets performance targets. Stake’s Daily Races awards US$100,000 to the leaderboard leader, which resets every 24 hours. Stake also provides a bonus for bettors placing multiple bets. With Perfect 10 – Sports Challenge, you can win a multi-bet of at least 10x by betting on 10 matches or more across all sports. The minimum prize pool for this challenge is US$150, and if there are over 200 participants, the prize pool increases to US$1,150. Conclusion Participating in sports betting can enhance the experience of watching sports. However, your experience depends entirely on the sports betting platform you choose. Therefore, it’s crucial to select a trustworthy platform, such as Stake.com, the leading platform in the online gambling space. One of the advantages offered by Stake is the quick deposit and withdrawal processes. As a sportsbook platform focusing on crypto, Stake facilitates faster deposits and withdrawals than traditional online gaming platforms. Those that incorporate cryptocurrencies can complete deposits and withdrawals almost instantly because they use cryptocurrencies. Another benefit that cryptocurrencies offer is lower transaction fees. Unlike traditional currencies, cryptocurrencies operate on decentralized networks, eliminating the need for middlemen such as banks. Consequently, transactions using cryptocurrencies typically incur lower fees. Moreover, using Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies provides enhanced security. Bitcoin transactions do not require users to submit personal data, reducing the risk of identity theft. Users of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, need not worry about inflation, as these virtual currencies are not subject to it. The use of cryptocurrencies is not limited by geographical borders. As long as an individual has an internet connection, they can access cryptocurrencies. Another advantage of playing on Stake is its additional layer of security through Two-Factor Authentication, ensuring the protection of players’ accounts from illegal access. Moreover, Stake promotes responsible gambling among its user base. The official site of Stake provides tips on responsible gambling. First, bettors should understand the house edges and odds of winning. When playing online games, players should be familiar with common terminologies such as Return-to-Player (RTP), while sports bettors should understand the odds of winning their bets. Another tip from Stake for gambling responsibly is to set betting limits. In the first place, you can decide how much money to deposit into your Stake account, allowing you to control your spending. If you wish to set a spending limit on your account, Stake allows users to do so. This feature enables users to limit the amount they wager per game or sports bet, ensuring they maintain control over their betting activities. Additionally, Stake enables users to set loss limits, ensuring they do not exceed their financial limits. Stake even provides a budget calculator, allowing users to input their monthly income and expenses to calculate their disposable income. Lastly, Stake offers a self-exclusion tool for users who wish to take a complete break from betting for a certain period of time. With this tool, users can lock themselves out of their accounts for a self-determined period, ranging from six months to five years.