Best Sports Betting Sites

UK Sports Betting Regulation

The UK’s gambling is legal in most of its forms which include online sports betting and the overall gambling industry is well-regulated which makes it a lucrative business.

The regulated betting landscape is perfect home for hundreds of betting retail shops that can be found on the Isles today, as well as to an increasing number of betting sites which provide top service to bettors across the globe and let the world funnel into the United Kingdom betting space.

Sport betting in the United Kingdom is regulated by the Gambling Commission, which operates on behalf of the government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMA). The Gambling Act 2005 assumed full power two years later at the same time taking over the full set of legal responsibilities held by the previous version of the Act.

As a growing business in the UK, gambling and sports betting is prudently supervised with Gambling Act’s main objectives to prevent gambling from becoming a source of crime and disorder and to protect vulnerable sections of the society from being exploited by gambling.

All UK residents are free to gamble responsibly in a well-organised and regulated environment providing they are over 18 years of age. The United Kingdom is home to some of the biggest and most reputable betting operators such as – Bet365, William Hill, BetVictor, Paddy Power etc – which all operate under the licence and represent a dependable choice.

Knowing that gambling winnings, and sports betting wins for that matter, are not subject to tax, punters can enjoy a tax-free income on potential winnings, which makes the UK a perfect sports betting scene. Learn more about the betting regulation in United Kingdom.

US Sports Betting Regulation

Sports betting keeps on gaining traction across the United States. For years, this pastime has been subject to federal and state regulations. In 1993, the government enacted a federal ban on sports betting. Under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), US residents were not allowed to place bets on sporting events at online sportsbooks. The idea behind PASPA was to eliminate bribery that could influence the outcomes of the games.

A few states, including Delaware, Montana, Oregon, and Nevada were exempt from the ban. The government allowed New Jersey that had regulated casino gambling to introduce legislation regarding the provision of sports betting services within a year. Unfortunately, the state failed to craft sports betting laws and in October 2016, New Jersey appealed to the Supreme Court to review the law.

In May 2018, the Supreme Court ruled out against PASPA, putting an end to the long-lasting federal ban on sports betting. Since that point, states have the opportunity to decide whether to regulate sports betting. The landscape has changed significantly since that pivotal year and 11 states legalized sports betting. Currently, many other states are examining the opportunity to legalize sports betting in an attempt to bridge financial gaps. Learn more about the betting regulation in United States.

Canada Sports Betting Regulation

For years, sports betting in Canada has been legal. In the 1990s, the country introduced a law to allow its residents to bet on various sporting events. The different provinces also have the word on the matter, being allowed to decide whether they want to allow sports betting within their borders.

Initially, Canadians could legally place single sports wagers that involve two or more bets combined into one. Such bets are also known as parlay wagers. Looking to expand its sports betting industry, the government also allowed spread bets and totals in the 2000s.

Up until August 27, 2021, Canadians have not been allowed to place single-game sports bets, but that had to change as the country was experiencing budget shortfalls. In an attempt to find a long-term solution to its financial difficulties, Canadian lawmakers proposed a bill to legalize single-event sports betting.

This is not the first time such a proposal was brought to consideration, but every time attempts to legalize single-event sports betting were stalled. However, the federal government legalized betting on individual sports events, and since August 27, 2021, with the passing of Bill C-218, Canadians are provided with greater opportunities to place bets in a safe and regulated environment. Learn more about the betting regulation in Canada.

Australia Sports Betting Regulation

Australia leads the charts when it comes to gambling activity. Sports betting is among the most widespread pastimes throughout the country. In 2001, the Commonwealth Parliament passed the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) that governs the gambling industry throughout the country. Under this piece of legislation, betting on sporting events and horse races is legal.

Online bookmakers can legally accept Aussie punters as long as they hold a license issued by the Australian government. More importantly, the law strictly prohibits bookmakers that target the Australian market to offer live in-play betting (also known as in the run betting). The prohibition extends also to land-based betting shops.

Lawmakers believe that live-in play betting poses a greater threat of developing gambling problems. Therefore, the legal sports wagers for Australian punters include straight bets, parlays, teasers, and futures. The law does not prosecute punters, but bookmakers whose responsibility is to ensure that their sports betting services abide by the law. However, many offshore sports betting operators either deliberately circumvent the Australian law or are not familiar with its intricacies and keep on offering this type of bet. Learn more about the betting regulation in Australia.

Ireland Sports Betting Regulation

Apart from the famous whiskey brands, Ireland is popular for its fondness for gambling. Betting on horse and greyhound races are among the most popular activities throughout the country. Of course, Irish people did not turn their back to other gambling activities, including betting on sporting events.

Initially, the sports betting industry was regulated by the Betting Act of 1931. In 2015, Irish lawmakers introduced amendments to the law to establish licensing procedures and standards. The new changes were included in the so-called Betting Amendment Act that made it to the law books. Since that point, offshore bookmakers could legally operate on Irish soil if they have the approval of the country’s relevant authorities.

As for now, Ireland does not have a gambling regulator like the UK Gambling Commission, and the Revenue Commissioners is responsible for regulating online sports betting. Under the Irish gambling law, the legal gambling age to place a bet on a sporting event in Ireland is 18 years old. Learn more about the betting regulation in Ireland.

Brazil Sports Betting Regulation

Brazil is a densely-populated country with a quite lucrative gambling market. Currently, the provision of gambling and sports betting operations throughout the country is not legal under the out-dated Criminal Contravention Act that came into effect in 1941. The only legal forms of gambling are lotteries and horse racing. Brazilian lawmakers prohibited most forms of gambling in a bid to clamp down on organised crime.

In December 2018, the Brazilian Congress passed a law that paved the way for the establishment of a new model of lottery referred to as fixed-odds sports betting. Under that piece of legislation, everyone who places a bet should know what the reward will be in advance. From that moment on, the situation has started to change for the better.

In August 2020, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro penned a decree to lay the foundations for the establishment of a regulated sports betting market throughout the Latin American country. Under this decree, Brazil’s Investment Partnership Program (PPI) and the Ministry of Economy are in charge of overseeing the development of the sports betting industry. Learn more about the betting regulation in Brazil.

Portugal Sports Betting Regulation

Speaking of Portugal, the first thing one could think of is the great Portuguese football players we all love to watch playing on the field. Often, Portuguese fans support their favorite sports club by placing a bet on it. Hence, we are not surprised to find out that the sports betting industry is thriving across the beautiful country.

Initially, all sports betting and gambling operations were in the hands of Santa Casa de Misericordia de Lisboa (SCML), a state-owned entity that used the raised funds from pooled betting to support various social programs. Following the rapid growth of Internet gambling, many offshore operators started welcoming players and punters from Portugal.

The country needed to respond to these trends in an adequate manner. Hence, the lawmakers decided to liberalise the Portuguese gambling market in 2013. Two years later, the Legal Regime of Online Gambling and Betting came into effect, establishing a licensing procedure for interested operators.

The Gambling Inspection and Regulation Service is the body responsible for issuing licenses. However, the taxes that operators have to pay are quite burdensome, which prompted many bookmakers to leave the market. Learn more about the betting regulation in Portugal.

Denmark Sports Betting Regulation

Denmark is a Scandinavian country known for its high standard of living. Often referred to as the happiest nation in the world, Danes love to indulge in gambling and sports betting activities. For years, the sports betting industry was in the hands of the state-owned monopoly Danske Spil. However, the company was unable to accommodate the needs of Danish punters, who started to use the services of offshore bookmakers.

Realising that offshore companies siphon off thousands of kroner from the government, Danish authorities decided to enact a bill, allowing offshore operators to apply for a license and legally operate in Denmark. There are 2 types of licenses depending on the services a given operator wishes to offer.

The Danish Gambling Authority is responsible for granting licenses to applicants but obtaining permission to operate is no picnic. More importantly, Danish punters should know that they should be at least 21 years old to place bets on sporting events. Another important aspect is that Danish punters are required to declare their winnings generated from sports betting activities and pay taxes on them. Learn more about the betting regulation in Denmark.

Norway Sports Betting Regulation

Norway is known for its stringent gambling regime. Currently, Norsk Riskoto and Norsk Tipping are the two betting sites that are allowed to legally operate across the country. The former is responsible for providing horse racing betting services, while the latter offers lotteries, sports betting, poker, keno, and scratch card games.

The two entities are state-owned, which means that the gambling industry in Norway is in the grip of the state monopoly. Hence, offshore bookmakers are not allowed to apply for a license and offer their sports betting services to Norwegian punters. Even though the gambling regime in Norway is against the EU laws, the country is not a full member of the European Union.

However, offshore sportsbooks kept on accepting players from Norway. To counteract such unlawful activities, the country’s lawmakers introduced the so-called Regulation on Payment Transfers in 2010, prohibiting local payment service providers from carrying out casino payments. Despite the restrictions, Norwegian punters can still place wagers at offshore sports betting sites. Learn more about the betting regulation in Norway.

Germany Sports Betting Regulation

Sports wagering is among the most widespread forms of gambling in Germany, so much so that only lotteries surpass it in terms of popularity. German punters are particularly keen on football – this makes sense considering some of the best teams in the world hail from the country.

Germany has been regulating online sports betting since 2012 thanks to an amendment in the Interstate Treaty on Gambling. Online bookmakers require licenses to legally operate and service German bettors. Sports betting and horse racing are the only licensable forms of online gambling in Germany.

The country is yet to enforce legislation that allows for the regulation of online casino gaming. Germans can legally punt on the results of sporting events with fixed odds and pools. However, pari-mutuel betting is subject to a state monopoly. Wagering on non-sports events, such as social betting, is currently prohibited under German law, and so are bets on blood sports like dog and cockfighting.

In October 2020, the British gambling giant Entertain PLC (formerly known as GVC Holdings) announced it has secured German licenses for several of its brands under the new Gambling Treaty. The legislation is expected to take effect in the summer of 2021. SportingBet, Gamebookers, bwin, and Ladbrokes will all be able to offer sports-wagering products to punters across Germany.

The licensing terms require the operators to enforce a monthly betting limit of €1,000, although it may be raised provided that certain criteria are met. License holders must also impose restrictions on the maximum bonuses each bettor can receive per year (€100) and limit deposits until the customers verify their accounts. Learn more about the betting regulation in Germany.

Italy Sports Betting Regulation

Statistics provided by the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers indicate football is the most popular sport in the boot-shaped country. The team sport generated over €2.3 billion in revenue in 2018 alone. Betting on sporting events is equally popular and fully legal in Italy in both landbased and online form.

Ministerial Decree No. 111 of 2006 regulates sports betting on all events that do not involve animal participation. Presidential Decree No. 169 of 1998 regulates wagering on horse races. The Italian Customs and Monopoly Agency (Agenzia Delle dogane e dei Monopoli, or ADM) has the remit to regulate the sports betting industry and issue operational permits. Italian punters have legal access to some of the best sportsbooks on the European market, including Betfair, bwin, Betway, Unibet, and 888sport.

Betting exchanges are also legal on Italian soil, allowing sports fans to bet against each other, offer odds to, or request odds from fellow punters. Anyone can place a bet as long as they are of legal gambling age, or 18 years old in Italy.

The Italian regulator exercises due diligence when it comes to safeguarding local bettors from gambling harm. Under the ADM regulations, punters have the chance to self-exclude from locally licensed sportsbooks, either temporarily or indefinitely. Learn more about the betting regulation in Italy.

Spain Sports Betting Regulation

The Spanish are a sport-loving nation, which is not surprising considering some of the best football teams in history hail from this country. The locals’ love for sport extends to sports betting, which is a big segment of the Spanish gambling market. Both online and terrestrial betting is legal in the country.

However, an increasing number of Spanish punters are beginning to take their action to the internet. As of 2019, sports betting generated gross gaming revenue of over €368 million from the online segment alone, not counting the €4.8 million generated by horse race wagering.

The online sports betting industry in the country falls under the regulatory scope of the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ). DGOJ is also responsible for the issuance of the operating permits to approved operators.

Spanish punters looking to wager legally can find the full list of DGOJ-approved betting operators at the watchdog’s official website. Some of these include 888sport, LeoVegas, Betfair, Betway, and Betfred.

License applicants must have at least €100,000 of paid-up share capital to obtain a general license. They also have to register in the Spanish Commercial Registry. At the moment of writing, DGOJ has granted permits to 55 licensed entities. Learn more about the betting regulation in Spain.

Sweden Sports Betting Regulation

Sweden opened its online betting industry to foreign competition after the enforcement of the Swedish Gambling Act at the beginning of 2019. Before that, the industry was subject to a state monopoly. All sports betting activities directed at Swedish nationals require local licenses from the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen).

Private operators are now welcome to join the Swedish market as long as they satisfy the regulatory requirements of the local gambling watchdog. A single betting license covers a broad spectrum of sports wagering activities, including horse races and sports competitions with fixed odds.

Swedish law prohibits spread betting and betting on events where most participants are under the legal age of 18. Over 100 operators have active licenses from Spelinspektionen at the moment of writing. Some of the biggest players on the Swedish gambling market include 888sport, Betway, Bethard, Betfair, Betsson, Casumo, and bwin.

Spelinspektionen regulates the local market under the provisions of the 2019 Swedish Gambling Act, along with several secondary bills like the Swedish Money Laundering Act. The monthly tax applicable to the online betting operators stands at 18% of their gross gambling revenue (i.e. the overall amount wagered minus the profits paid to winning customers).

Interested operators must also pay fees upon submitting their applications – SEK3,600 for pari-mutuel betting on horse races and SEK400,000 for sports betting. Each approved licensee has to contribute an annual fee to Spelinspektionen for supervision. The exact amount depends on the annual gross gambling revenue of the operators. Learn more about the betting regulation in Sweden.

Switzerland Sports Betting Regulation

Switzerland has a complicated history and relationship with sports wagering. The Swiss Federal Act on Lotteries and Commercial Betting effectively prohibited these activities in 1923. The ban continued until 2018 when the new Gambling Act (Geldspielgesetz) passed into law.

Its passage hardly improved the situation for sports betting enthusiasts in the country, however. The sector is subject to a state monopoly, making it impossible for private offshore operators to apply for and receive licenses. Under local law, the only entities eligible for running legal online betting are the state-owned Swisslos and Loterie Romande.

Foreign sports betting operators who target local punters illegally have their websites blocked by the local internet service providers. The Swiss regulatory framework distinguishes between several types of gambling licenses – for commercial casino gaming, large-scale, and small-scale games.

Only Swisslos and Loterie Romande hold licenses for large-scale games, which allows them to offer sports betting. These two lottery organisations operate the betting brands Sporttip and Jouez Sport that accept wagers on a range of sports competitions. Loterie Romande and Swisslos also work in collaboration with Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) for their horse-racing products.

The Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority (now Gespa, formerly known as Comlot) issues the permits and observes for compliance on behalf of the licensees. The watchdog has compiled a blacklist of all unlicensed operators with blocked domains. Some of the most prominent names included are bet365, Unibet, and Intertops. Learn more about the betting regulation in Switzerland.

Belgium Sports Betting Regulation

Sports wagering is ubiquitous on Belgian territory as there are hundreds of bookmaking shops across the country. Local punters are keen on betting on popular sports like football, cycling, tennis, and field hockey. Online and landbased sports betting are legal in Belgium as long as the bookmakers have received approval for licenses by the local watchdog.

The sector falls under the regulatory remit of the Belgium Gaming Commission. Established in 1999, this entity plays a key role in preserving the integrity of the Belgian gambling industry. It also provides advice and monitors compliance within the industry. The Gaming Commission has taken various protective measures to battle addiction and safeguard local punters from gambling-related harm.

Some might think these measures are a bit restrictive, though. For example, locally licensed operators cannot offer bonuses to Belgian customers as of February 2020. Maximum online stakes must not exceed €500 per week per player. Interested companies looking to operate sports betting activities in Belgium must apply for an F license, which has several sub-categories.

F1 licenses cover the organisation of sports bets. Bookies who seek to take wagers on behalf of F1 license holders must obtain F2 licenses while online betting requires an additional F+ permit. Licenses belonging to the F category have a validity of nine years. Only punters who are at least 18 years old can legally place bets in Belgium. Learn more about the betting regulation in Belgium.

Netherlands Sports Betting Regulation

Sports wagering is among the most widespread forms of gambling in the Netherlands. Dutch residents can wager legally with landbased bookmakers. The only trouble stems from the fact the state currently holds a monopoly over the entire gambling industry in the Netherlands.

Dutch lawmakers plan to enforce a new regulatory and licensing regime for remote gambling (sports betting included) in March 2021. The new regime will enable operators to apply for permits for four types of online gambling, including sports betting, horse and harness racing. The betting licenses will also cover virtual sports (treated as casino games), eSports, and fantasy sports.

The Dutch gambling watchdog Kansspelautoritet will assess the applications and issue licenses to approved operators. Interested companies will be able to submit their applications as soon as the Dutch Remote Gambling Act comes into force in March 2021.

Licensed websites are likely to go live as early as September of the same year. Some of the biggest players on the remote betting scene have already expressed interest in obtaining Dutch permits, including William Hill, Betfair, Unibet, and Ladbrokes.

Hopefully, the changes will result in more legal opportunities for Dutch punters and spare them from having to resort to illegal betting avenues. The local authorities also plan to create a central database for self-excluded customers. All locally licensed operators (landbased and remote) will have to become part of the CRUKS exclusion register. Learn more about the betting regulation in Netherlands.