Portugal Sports Betting Sites

Portugal is a nation that harbors a great passion for sports that are indeed an inseparable part of its citizens’ culture. In fact, the list of sports Portuguese are enthusiastic about is beyond extensive. Some of the most widespread sports in Portugal include soccer, golf, cycling, tennis, and rink hockey.

Then again, professional competitions in basketball, handball, futsal, and volleyball are held on a regular basis. As Portugal is located in South-western Europe and its residents thrive in a predominantly warm climate, sports like triathlon and surfing enjoy huge popularity.

• Historical Overview
• Regulatory Body
• Relevant Legislative Framework
• Restrictions
• Popular Odds Formats
• Popular Sports to Bet on
• Banking Methods
• Mobile Betting
• Aspects of Worthy Betting Site
• Popular Bookies

The Portuguese do not only prefer to attend and watch sports events as they are exceptionally passionate about betting on them as well. Gambling activities have been an integral part of the lives of the Portuguese, and the fact that the country is home to one of the oldest brick-and-mortar casinos goes to prove this. Thanks to the openness of lawmakers and citizens of the country, gambling activities, betting on sports included, are authorized in Portugal.

Find the best Portuguese bookmakers here

Continue reading to learn the ins and outs of betting on sports in the country, the banking solutions available to punters, the rules they should be fully aware of, as well as which some of the best-Portugal friendly betting sites are.

Historical Overview

Sports and betting go hand in hand, and in this respect, the Portuguese are not an exception to the rule. The country’s residents are quite enthusiastic about backing their national football team, and usually, matches in which they compete attract massive viewership and betting action. Wagering on events from Portugal’s domestic leagues is also quite common among punters of this nationality. Bets on sports like tennis, Formula 1, basketball, golf, and futsal are very widespread, too.

The advent of online betting brought about considerable changes in the industry. The Portuguese, too, enjoy wagering from the comfort of their homes as this practice comes with a number of advantages. The odds, offered by web-based betting operators, in most cases are much better, not to mention there is a greater diversity as far as markets and sports events are concerned.

Some websites even function as “betting exchanges”, allowing punters to set and sell their own odds, thus assuming the role of bookmakers. Useful features like In-Play, and Mobile betting, Live Score and Live Streaming can further tip the scales in punters’ favor. And last but not least, the greatest benefit of online betting is the convenience and flexibility it offers.

But is online betting legal in Portugal? This undoubtedly is an important question to ask. For quite some time, Portuguese legislation in regard to sports betting has been rather confusing to both punters from the country and online sportsbooks. Sports betting in Portugal has been considered illegal for some time. Macau was once a Portuguese colony, where betting on the outcome of sports events was strictly prohibited for decades.

The sports betting industry in Portugal remained monopolized for quite some time. Generally, gambling activities are subdivided into three categories – raffles, sports betting and casino games and lotteries. All of these, with the exception of raffles, had been monopolized for decades. It all started over 50 years ago, in 1961 when the Santa Casa de Misericordia de Lisboa (or shortly SCML) was granted the right to run and regulate all wagers placed on sports events. As the SCML is a charity foundation, all profits it had generated from betting were used to help children and elderly citizens of Lisbon.

A few years ago, things took a turn for the better. Certain steps have been made to liberalize and expand the sports betting market in the country. You can read more detailed information on gambling legislation in Portugal in the next section.

Regulatory Body

The control, inspection, and regulation of all gambling activities that take place on the territory of Portugal are in the hands of the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos or Gambling Inspection and Regulation Service (SRIJ). An important thing to note is that both, offline and online gambling activities are controlled by the SRIJ. This is also the authority, which is in charge of the public tenders for land-based concessions. The issuing of seals of approval to gaming operators that provide their services over the Internet, as well as the collection of the relevant taxes are also among the duties of the SRIJ. Finally, the SRIJ can also instruct gambling-related offences.

As for social state-organized games, they are under the control of The Lisbon Holy House of Mercy (Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa) (SCML). This is a public entity, which was set up in order to monitor and inspect the way such games are held. The gambling products the SCML is responsible for include land-based fixed-odds betting, state-run lotteries, offline mutual horse race betting. The Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security also monitors the above-mentioned state-organized games.

An important thing to note is that the legislation of the country does not make a clear separation between offline and online gambling activities. That being said, there is a considerable difference in the procedures gaming operators are required to go through in order to get authorization to offer their services to Portuguese punters.

When it comes to offline betting, it should be noted that such activities are semi-open, which is to say that the authorization to organize and offer such is given through public tenders. The investment, which is required in order for gaming operators to start offering their services is significant, and in view of this, the concessions may go on for up to 40 years.

This is not the case with betting activities that are offered over the Internet, as every operator can apply for a seal of approval from the SRIJ. What should be noted, however, is that the licenses required in order to offer fixed-odds betting on sports and games of chance are different.

Relevant Legislative Framework

With the increasing popularity of online sports betting, Portuguese authorities were forced to make some necessary changes to expand this important market. Until recently, only pari-mutuel bets were allowed in the country. Pools were and still are the most popular alternative for many sports fans. This form of betting involves collecting wagers that are all made in a similar way and then punters’ winnings are paid out after a commission called “a vig” is deducted. As pool betting does not involve any odds, it is safe to say no fixed odds bets were allowed in Portugal.

Portuguese punters were permitted to pick from two types of games only – Totoloto and Loto2. At the turn of the new century, the SCML was granted a license by Portuguese authorities to operate online. International web-based bookmakers were prohibited from offering their services to residents of the country. The IP addresses of foreign betting providers were blocked to prevent Portuguese punters from accessing such websites. Nevertheless, these measures didn’t prove to be very effective.

However, the European Union imposed considerable pressure on Portugal and insisted that the country must liberalize its gambling legislation. One of the main incentives was to make it possible for Portugal to pay out its national debt by generating more substantial revenues from the gambling sector. In 2013, Portugal had no other option but to commence regulating the online betting market. This was inevitable, especially if you consider the fact three major institutions, namely the EU Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank, insisted on changes to be made in Portugal’s policy in regard to sports betting. It was believed such changes would help the country pay back its bailout.

In July, 2014, the country’s authorities agreed to enforce these changes and issue licenses to international bookmakers so that they can legally operate on the territory of Portugal. It’s important to mention foreign betting operators tend to offer their services under internationally recognized licenses. However, such licenses are not transferable and the sportsbooks are still expected to receive a stamp of approval from Portuguese regulatory bodies if they wish to operate legally in the country.

The Portuguese Legal Regime of Online Sports Betting and Gambling officially came into force on 28 June 2015. While the “regime” is much more liberal, betting is still strictly regulated by the state. Punters are now allowed to place bets based on fixed odds. Licenses are given only to those bookmakers that have demonstrated fairness and reliability. Of course, licensees are expected to pay taxes on the gross profits they have generated in the country. More information on taxation and restrictions is to follow in the next section.

Interestingly enough, gambling activities were legalized back in 1927, and the legislative framework, which determines the way offline betting is conducted, dates back to 1989. Up to this date, the Gambling Law has undergone a dozen changes. Online gambling was authorized back in 2014, and the Regime Jurídico dos Jogos e Apostas Online) (RJO), which determines the way online gambling activities are conducted, was introduced back in 2015. In the next few years, law-makers passed amendments to regulate the way licensed operators can offer their services within Portugal.

They addressed the game rules, player/punters accounts, and the technical gambling systems, among others. The legal framework under which state-run games are carried out has not been updated, and it has existed since 1955.

Restrictions

As is usually the case, betting providers that have obtained licenses to operate in a given country are expected to pay taxes on their profits. Unfortunately, the percentage demanded by Portugal’s regulatory authorities is considered to be quite high as it ranges between 8% and 16% of the respective bookmaker’s gross profits in the country. It is worth noting that the gambling tax regime of the country was changed back in 2020, and the progressive rate was eliminated with the introduction of these legal amendments.

Meanwhile, web-based casino and poker operators are required to pay a tax starting at 25%. For established gambling providers, the percentage might reach up to 30% of their gross gaming revenue.

When it comes to pari-mutuel horse race betting, the rate of the tax is 25%. As for fixed-odds betting, betting on horse races included, the tax stands at 8%.

As you can imagine, it is difficult to pay such a great percentage of one’s revenue and still generate profits. This caused some of the leading names in the betting and gaming industry to depart from the Portuguese market. Many others are expected to follow. Additionally, each approved applicant is supposed to put forward a performance bond, amounting to €500,000 and another one of €100,000 as a guarantee that excise taxes will be paid. Fortunately, punters are not required to pay taxes on their winnings.

Betting providers are expected to submit their applications in Portuguese. Another requirement is to provide information regarding their technical capacity, which basically means each applicant should possess the necessary gaming hardware and software and employ trained, certified and experienced personnel, able to adequately operate the said hardware and software. Each license is valid for three years and has to be renewed after it expires.

There are more requirements, however. International betting providers are obliged to set up a special domain for Portuguese punters and automatically redirect them to the said domain. The domain for the country is “pt”. And finally, the last condition is that all transactions to and from the bookmaker’s account should be carried out through a reliable banking institution based in one of the member states of the EU.

Of course, only punters of legal age are permitted to bet online or to engage in other gambling activities. Interestingly, the legal gambling age limit in Portugal is set at 18 years, but this applies to tourists only. Those with Portuguese citizenship can engage in sports betting and other forms of gambling only if they are 21 years old or older.

Anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited from entering gambling halls or taking part in gambling activities over the Internet. Besides, advertisements in which minors take part cannot contain references to any gambling products or services. Additionally, while advertising their services, gaming operators are required to display the mention ‘+18’, along with the SICAD, and SRIJ symbols.

When it comes to the content the gambling-related advertisements can contain, they should not present gambling activities as an easy way to get profit or as an alternative to work. Besides, when it comes to advertising on television and radio, gambling-related products and services can only be presented 30 minutes before or after children’s programs and between 10:30 pm and 7:00 am.

Odds Formats in Portugal

Properly reading odds is a must for gambling enthusiasts, especially if they want to get the most out of their betting session. What punters should learn is what odds are, what they are used to describe, as well as how different formats in which odds are introduced work. The most important thing punters should remember about odds is that they are used to describe probability according to the bookie. Another way to describe odds is that their value is used to describe how much gambling enthusiasts will stand the chance to get based on the stake they make.

Decimal Odds

Decimal odds are the most widespread format, and their greatest popularity is to be seen across Europe. This goes to explain why Portuguese punters tend to switch to this format when betting on sports over the Internet. The straightforwardness of this odds format is what makes many sports bettors turn to it as all they need to do in order to work out what their return will be is multiply the value of the odds by the amount they intend to stake.

Converting decimal odds into cash is indeed easy, and if punters see odds of 2.00, for example, this will mean that for every €10 they stake, they will get €20. Staking €10 at odds of 4.00 will mean that punters will be in for a payout of €40. In order for punters to work out what their profit will be, they simply need to take off the amount of their initial stake. Thus, in the first case, their profit will be €10, while in the second case, their profit will stand at €30.

Fractional Odds

Although the majority of the bookies that accept punters from Portugal take special care to ensure that the decimal odds format is on their agenda, a good number of them offer fractional odds as an alternative. This means of expressing odds is hugely popular in Ireland and the UK, and prices look like this: 9/1, 3/1, and so on. Unlike decimals odds, while using fractional odds, punters can determine their net return a winning bet of €1 will bring.

Turning fractional odds into cash is exceptionally straightforward, and if we assume that the lines punters are presented with are 9/1, this will mean that for every €10 they stake, they will get €90. Thus, placing a bet at odds of 3/1 will mean that for every €10 they wager, their payout will be €30.

American Odds

American odds are not as commonly used in Portugal as decimal and fractional odds, but sports bettors from the country might still stumble upon bookies that offer this format. Still, this odds view is the easiest to understand from the three, and it is used to show what amount punters will collect after their wager of €100 is successful.

So, if we say that the odds are -560, this will mean that punters will need to bet €560 in order to get €100. The negative sign shows that the team or player punters are about to bet on is the favorite. If we assume that punters decide to back the underdog, and the odds are +485, this will mean that they will be required to stake €100 in order to stand the chance to get €485.

Popular Sports to Bet on

There is a wide range of sports and events Portuguese punters have a liking for, and not only are the viewers many, but the number of people who prefer to go for betting on these events is not to be sneezed at. Although the taste of gambling enthusiasts differs greatly, there are several sports that are hugely popular in Portugal, and contrary to what one might expect, the choice of punters does not only come down to football.

Soccer

Soccer is impossible to omit as it is the team sport, which enjoys a mind-blowing popularity in Portugal. Most of the country’s residents share a common passion for this ball game which is not surprising as the sport has a long and rich history in this region. It was introduced in the second half of the 19th century when Guilherme Pinto Basto brought the first soccer ball from Great Britain. In 1889, the first-ever soccer game in the country took place and the rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Most bets are placed on soccer events. The country’s presence in international soccer remains strong to this day – Portugal boasts several of the best teams in Europe. Some of the names worth mentioning include Boavista (which is the oldest soccer club in Portugal), Benfica, and Porto. Meanwhile, their national team ranks high in international championships every year. For instance, in 2010, Portugal was ranked third (out of 207 countries) by FIFA.

Furthermore, some of the most talented soccer players are born and raised in Portugal – Christiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Quaresma, and Simão Sabrosa, to name just a few. However, wagering on foreign leagues is also common as bets are often placed on events from the English Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, and UEFA’s Champions League. The variety of betting options for football is quite staggering.

Futsal

Another popular sport in Portugal is futsal, which is a soccer variation played by five players in an indoor venue. Portuguese citizens take a great deal of pride in their professional futsal league, called 1ª Divisão. Of course, one of the best ways to back your favorite futsal team is to place your bet in its favor. Fortunately, a great number of web-based bookmakers list this game among their betting options.

Hockey

Rink hockey also enjoys great popularity in this country, which can be attributed to Portugal’s successful rink hockey team. This is the country with the most world titles for this sport as its national team has won 15 world championships and 20 European ones.

Basketball

The country’s basketball league is among the best in Europe. That is why Portuguese punters frequently place bets on their most prominent basketball teams such as S.L. Benfica, Carnide, Porto, and Sporting Clube de Portugal.

Handball

Handball might seem like a less prominent sport on a global scale, but this is not so in Portugal. In later years especially, this interesting sport has been attracting an ever-growing audience, while handball games are frequently broadcast live on television. Portugal’s presence in international handball competitions is extremely strong. That is why punters in this country often bet on events from Liga Portuguesa de Andebol or the LPA. Most established bookmakers accept wagers on this team sport.

Other Popular Sports

As far as racing goes, the Portuguese are particularly fond of equestrian sports like horse racing. Greyhounds racing is not as popular, while rallying and motor racing are more widespread. Other popular sports to wager on include tennis, motor racing, golf, and volleyball.

Popular Sports to Bet On Summary
Sport	Pre-match/In-play	Leagues
Football	Yes/Yes	Premiera Liga, Liga 3, Liga Portugal 2, Portuguese Super Cup, and others
Basketball	Yes/Yes	Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol, Basketball Champions League, and Europe Cup, among others
Futsal	Yes/Yes	Portuguese Futsal First Division
Handball	Yes/Yes	Andebol 1
Ring Hockey	Yes/Yes	First Division

Popular Banking Methods in Portugal

Before they go for betting on sports over the Internet, punters should be aware that cryptocurrencies and any other tokens that can be used as a means of payment are forbidden in Portugal. Another vital thing to remember is that under the gambling-related legislation of the country, gaming operators that accommodate punters from Portugal need to accept payments in EUR or ensure that the conversion to this currency is possible.

E-wallets

Betting on sports is legal in Portugal, and because of this, the options punters from the country are presented with are not few and far between. There is a vast number of choices, but as it turns out, gambling enthusiasts are heavily into using digital wallets. They make for instantaneous top-ins and lightning-fast withdrawals, which renders them one of the best choices Portuguese punters can make use of during their sports betting session.

Another reason why digital wallets are up to the mark for gambling enthusiasts is that gaming operators hardly ever charge extra fees on deposits and cashouts executed through such payment processors.

The most commonly used digital wallets in the country include PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller, and fortunately for sports bettors, these payment processors are accepted by a large portion of the bookies that face this market. Best of everything, they double as a cashout method, which makes them all the more appealing options for sports bettors.

What gambling enthusiasts should remember is that some bookies tend to restrict the access of punters to some of the available bonus deals if they have handled their payments through one of the aforementioned e-wallets.

Debit and Credit Cards

Punters who insist on employing payment methods that offer great flexibility and ease of use seem to be more disposed to using their credit or debit card. Mastercard and Visa-branded cards are among the most commonly accessible payment solutions for punters from Portugal, and an increasing number of betting sites facilitate deposits and withdrawals carried out through them.

In addition to their wide availability and effectiveness, card payments enjoy the approval of punters because no additional registration and separate accounts are needed to conduct a payment, which is the case with digital wallets, for example. Besides, gaming operators rarely limit the access to bonuses and promotions of punters who have loaded their accounts with cash through their debit or credit card.

Prepaid Vouchers

Gambling enthusiasts who will not budge on the idea of using their credit or debit card while betting on sports might be way more comfortable with the employment of prepaid vouchers. Paysafecard might be apt for gambling enthusiasts who are unwilling to lay bare their banking details while betting on the go or on their computer. Handling their payments through it only involves entering the unique code of the voucher and the preferred amount, which will do the trick for risk-averse punters.

Yet, Paysafecard has two setbacks that should not be overlooked, and these include the unavailability of the payment method for cashouts and the smaller amounts punters are allowed to deposit.

Mobile Betting

The Portuguese sports betting market might not be as competitive as in other European countries, but gaming operators still need to go out of their way to remain relevant and hold punters’ attention. Most Portugal-friendly bookies that get their operations off the ground now and the ones that already have a considerable presence on the market fully recognize that these days, getting the attention of punters does not go without meeting the wants of mobile users.

Unsurprisingly, Portuguese punters tend to set great store by betting on the go, and, because of this, it figures that the operators that face the market make sure that their betting sites behave equally well on computers and portable devices.

To guarantee that their customers will have a whale of a time and will not experience any glitches while betting on their favorite sport or player, most operators tend to make their betting platforms accessible on the go through the so-called web apps. In this way, the sports betting platforms will be within reach, no matter if the device of gambling enthusiasts runs on iOS or Android, and best of all, punters will not be required to give up any of the storage space of their smartphone or tablet.

Once bettors have made sure that their Internet connection is stable, they can switch to the mobile version of the bookie of their choice, log into their account, and go ahead with their real-money bets no matter the time or the place.

The same is possible also when punters are presented with downloadable apps that are exclusively designed for Android and iOS-powered smart devices. Normally, these apps will be within punters’ grasp at the official app stores or on the website of the bookmaker.

In any case, the entire set of features, promotions, payment solutions, sports, and markets, among others, which is available to desktop users will be within reach to gambling enthusiasts who are more into betting while being on the go. To make the stay of their users all the more fun-filled, some gaming operators tend to offer tokens of appreciation exclusively to mobile users. Because of this, it is always a good idea to give the line-up of bonuses of the chosen sportsbook a look from time to time to check if such are available.

Key Aspects of a Worthy Betting Site

Picking the right sportsbook might take too much time and a great deal of effort, especially if punters do not know which metrics to examine closely. What makes matters more complicated is that the sports betting platforms that accept punters from Portugal are not far and few between. Because of this, we have prepared a list of the features worthy Portugal-friendly betting sites have in common.

Stamp of Approval

The first metric, which makes worthwhile Portugal-facing sports betting platforms stand out from the crowd is their proven track record and trustworthiness. Gambling enthusiasts should make sure that the betting site they are about to register for an account is upfront and offers transparency when it comes to their regulatory status and the rules its users need to abide by. If the information is intelligible, and most importantly, punters can easily find it, the bookie is worth giving a shot.

A legitimate concern of punters who are on the lookout for a betting site to bet at is whether their sensitive information is properly protected, and, because of this, the safety measures in place are worth giving a once-over.

Bonus Incentives and Promotions

While selecting a sportsbook to register for an account, punters should make sure that there will be enough bonus deals for every stage of their betting session. The value of the welcome deal is indeed one of the factors that determine the decision of punters whether to sign up for an account. How much punters will get if they decide to stick with the sports betting platform is also not of less significance. Naturally, the rules punters need to abide by after the bonus deals are rewarded should be given due attention as they also determine whether the bonus deals are valuable.

The Variety of Betting Opportunities

It goes without saying that the main reason why punters sign up for an account with interactive bookies is that they wish to bet on sports, and, because of this, the portfolio of the operator should be among the deciding factors. Punters should be satisfied that their bookie of choice offers prices for niche and major sports, and above all, that the odds are competitive.

In-game betting is a feature most Portugal-friendly bookies share, and along with bet builder and live streams, among others, make the good sportsbooks instantly recognizable.

Deposit and Cashout Methods

Each Portugal-facing bookie has its unique payment system, and this is one more facet gambling enthusiasts should examine with a fine-tooth comb. Ensure that the least deposit amount is low and top-ins do not take time at all. The line-up of accepted banking solutions is an element of online bookies, to which thought should be given.

How long gambling enthusiasts will need to wait until their winnings leave the sports betting platform, and the minimums and maximums they should comply with are also among the variables that should be considered.

Mobile Betting

Offering a smooth experience on tablets and smartphones is a feature all top Portugal-friendly bookies have. If punters do not experience any glitches while betting on the move, and notice that everything is clearly laid out and loads in next to no time, the bookie is worth the attention of punters. The navigation around the website should also be a breeze, and all functions should be easy-to-use.

Popular Bookies in Portugal

Many web-based bookmakers redirect Portuguese punters to their “pt” domains and are more than willing to provide their services to residents of the country. Plenty of payment options are available for bettors from Portugal, so they won’t struggle for long before they find one that suits their needs and bankroll size.

In some cases, customer support is offered in Portuguese. Portugal is a member state of the EU and as such, has adopted the Euro as its currency. It won’t be far-fetched to say that a huge number of web-based bookmakers accept this currency, which gives punters plenty of options. Here is a list of ten bookmakers suitable for Portuguese punters.