Vanuatu Becomes Unlikely New Cricket Betting Hotspot

Vanuatu, a tiny chain of ar𓆏ound 80 islands in the south Pacific, can boast of being𝐆 one of the only COVID-19-free nations in the world.

However, global restrictions on travel have devastated Va🐭nuatu's tourism industry, and Vanuatu was also hit hard by Cyclone Harold last month.

In response, Vanuatu has turned itself into📖 an unlikely new cricket hotspot by being🐓 one of the only countries in the world to play live cricket and broadcast it to a global audience hungry for live sport of any kind.

Over half a million viewers in India - Vanuatu itsel🉐f only has a population of around 290,000 - tuned into to watch a hastily arranged game on a plastic synthetic pitch earlier this month.

Despite🐽 a low standard of pl🎐ay, and only four inexperienced cameramen covering the game, the first live cricket match on Vanuatu national television was a big success.

So big in fact, that BetBarter, run by Sky Infotech Ltd, a Curacao-based betting and casino brand, is to sponsor a 10-match Men’s T10 🍌'Blast' tournament that from 21 May to 13 June.

The three-team showpiece has been scheduled no doubt withꦛ the Indian market in mind - games are to be played every Saturday at 7:30 am and 9:30 am IST after the first set of m🧔atches is played on Thursday (21 May).

It’s no secret🤡 that cri▨cket betting is enormous in India, despite the government's official position against gambling and online gambling.

Shane Deitz, a former South African batsman and now the CEO of the Vanuatu Cricket💃 Association, was surprised by the Indian viewing figures of the inaugural match. When asked about it, the 44-year-old was quoted as saying, "I presume lots of gambling on it [helps explain it]".

According to , the newly-fashioned Vincy T10 Premier League, hosted by the Caribbea🐻n island of St Vincent's cricket association and starting this Friday, is the result of an approach from an Indian fantasyꦉ cricket company.

Agaiꦛn, the Vincꦐy T10 Premier League will cater to the Indian audience with matches starting at the early local time of 8:30 am - 7 pm IST.

Amidst a surge of online gaming in India attributed to the national lockdown, the All India 𝓡Gaming Federation has added three ne🐭w experts to its panel to bolster its campaign for r๊esponsible gaming, and industry b♌est practices and standards.