Sports betting is a popular type of gambling that involves placing a wager on the outcome of a match or specific events in a game. It is believed sportsbook have been around since the time of ancient Greece, and now it has become easier than ever as most bookmakers have gone online.
However, sports betting is poorly regulated and outlawed in most countries. Sports betting is generally licensed by gaming and gambling bodies authorities or special acts and commissions. The issue is that very few countries have legalized sports betting, and those who have provided a limited scope. Most betting operators have offshore businesses with permission to operate in a specific region.
Private, non-registered and illegal betting enterprises are rampant across the world and often associated with other criminal activities. There have been several scandals in the past of match-fixing and spot-fixing. Here we list some of the risks that you can face when looking to place a wager.
Most online betting websites are linked to a physical betting network, which can either be legal or criminal. You have to be extremely careful with where you put your money. Check the licenses of the betting site and see if they are legal to operate in your region. Here we list some countries that have legal sports betting to some extent.
Argentina | Australia |
Brazil | Canada |
China | Colombia |
Costa Rica | Ghana |
India | Kenya |
Mexico | New Zealand |
Nigeria | Peru |
Philippines | Russia |
South Africa | United Kingdom |
United States (not in some states) |
Most countries listed above do not give a free hand to betting companies and have only allowed betting in specific sports and events. For example, betting on college football is illegal in some US states.
Additionally, you can also take the following measure to save your self from being duped.
In general, we recommend you not to use sport betting sites if they are not allowed in your country. Even if the website is certified by a foreign country (such as the UK or Malta) it may be very hard to get your money back if you feel cheated. Please check the list of government authorities regulating gambling and betting services in your country.
There are a few countries that have regulated sports betting; however, services are offered in several parts of the world. Here we list some reliable sports betting sites and the country they are licensed in.
Sportsbook | Country |
Betway |
UK Gambling Commission Malta Gaming Authority |
888Sport |
Gibraltar Gambling Commission UK Gambling Commission Malta Gaming Authority |
William Hill |
UK Gambling Commission Gibraltar Gambling Commission |
BetVictor |
UK Gambling Commission Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner |
Spin Sports | Malta Gaming Authority |
10Cric | Curacao Gaming Authority |
22Bet | Curacao Gaming Authority |
Intertops | Kahnawake Gaming Commission |
Bet365 | Malta Gaming Authority |
Sportingbet | Gibraltar Gaming Commission |
Betsafe |
UK Gambling Commission Malta Gaming Authority |
ComeOn | Malta Gaming Authority |
Betway Group (commonly known as Betway) is a global online gambling company, owned by Super Group. Betway is a global online gambling company that operates across regulated online marketplaces. Launched in 2006 the brand holds licences in countries including UK, Malta, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Mexico, South Africa, Portugal, India and Ireland. Betway Group is a member of the European Sports Security Association the Independent Betting Adjudication Service, the Remote Gambling Association and is accredited by international testing agency eCOGRA.
888sport (pronounced as "Triple Eight Sport") is a multinational online sports gambling company headquartered in Gibraltar. The company provides online sports betting, predominantly in European markets.
William Hill Limited is a global online gambling company based in London, England. It was previously listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by Caesars Entertainment in April 2021. The company operates 1,414 betting shops.
Betvictor Ltd (formerly Victor Chandler International Limited), is an independent bookmaker. The company now claims to turn over in excess of £1 billion and have over a half a million customers in more than 160 different countries
Spin Sports is an online sportsbook run by Bayton Limited. While the site is mainly an online casino, they offer sports betting in certain regions, including e-sports. Each user gets their very own dedicated account area when you can review your bets and wins. All the major deposit and withdrawal methods are available at Spin Sports, and you can get hold of customer services whenever you need to.
10 Cric is an Indian gaming platform that deals with bookmakers internationally. The 10cric headquarter is located in Cyprus. It is open exclusively to Indian players and provides the required conveniences to them. The sportsbooks include horse racing, cricket, kabaddi, and more. It focused on the IPL to permit users to stay updated with the ongoing live and active cricket events.
Launched in 2018, 22Bet is a relative newcomer into the online casino and sportsbook world. They were able to gain approval to enter the Kenyan and United Kingdom markets. 22Bet offers a total of over 140 deposit methods and more than 70 methods for withdrawal. It has a list of over 40 sports with active wagers available on them. They cover all of the major sports as well as other smaller ones which can be harder to find online. The site has a long list of sports you can bet on, live betting, and excellent betting limits.
Intertops is one of the oldest online sportsbooks today. The business first started offline back in 1983. They went online in 1996, and by 1998 they added their casino and poker room. Intertops offers several gambling products – a sportsbook, casino and poker room. Their business was built on the back of their sportsbook but they added the casino and poker room shortly after they made the jump online. Their sportsbook and casino are operated by Thinkquick Ltd. and are registered by the government of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Bet365 Group Ltd (commonly known as ’bet365’ and spoken as "bet three-six-five") is a British online gambling company based in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 2000 and is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. While sports betting used to be the main focus, they have also added casino, poker and bingo.
Sportingbet is a British online gambling operator, owned by GVC Holdings plc. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index prior to its acquisition by GVC. Sportingbet operates local-focused sportsbooks, virtual games and casino sites, and the online poker cardroom, Paradise Poker.
Betsson AB is a Swedish company that offers a number of online gambling products, such as casino, poker, bingo, sports betting and scratch cards through more than 20 online gaming brands including Betsson, Betsafe and NordicBet. Betsson AB is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap List. Betsson AB's subsidiaries owns and operates a number of websites via its subsidiaries in Malta.
ComeOn was established in 2010 and has slowly gained popularity since their inception. They are still a relatively smaller operator compared to some of the larger bookmakers. ComeOn is a product of Co-Gaming Limited, which is registered in Malta under the laws of the European Union. Their company’s operations, including the running of ComeOn, is overseen by the Malta Gaming Authority. The sportsbook itself is licensed and regulated by the Government of Curacao, which is located in the Caribbean. ComeOn offers players a traditional sportsbook and live or in-play betting options.
Sources: Wikipedia, Betopin, Isopentoday, Gamblingsites, Safestbettingsites