Bookmaker Countries
As states began legalizing sports betting in the late 2010s, the NCAA signaled a shift in tone. Perhaps the most extreme ban on sports betting was imposed by the NCAA, the main governing body for U.S. college sports. The American Gaming Association stated in June 2017, that a coalition will advocate for the repeal of the United States’ sports betting ban. The Alliance of American Football and XFL have both publicly endorsed gambling on their games, with the AAF securing a partnership with MGM Resorts International and the XFL partnering with DraftKings. Major League Soccer (MLS) the top soccer league in the United States and Canada has expressed sports betting as a possible way to gain popularity.
They accept US players without holding a license from any state gaming regulator. An offshore license is not US state authorization, and no state player non gamstop betting sites protections apply to these sites. If those terms weren’t available to us, we tell you to check them before opting in.
Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred has also advocated the league changing its stance on sports betting, with both Manfred and Silver noting that the scale of illegal sports betting makes opposition to betting meaningless. In 2014 he stated in a New York Times op-ed, “I believe that sports betting should be brought out of the underground and into the sunlight where it can be appropriately monitored and regulated.” In 2017, with support for legalization growing, he confirmed his belief that “legalized sports betting is inevitable”. While the National Basketball Association (NBA) was once active in preventing sports betting law relaxation, current NBA Commissioner Adam Silver became the first major sports leader to break from previous administrative opposition to gambling. Meanwhile, the Middle East, including nations like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, strictly prohibits all gambling activities, including sports betting, due to cultural and religious reasons. And Puerto Rico have also legalized online sports betting, though in 8 states that have legalized sports betting, betting can only occur through legal physical sportsbooks. As of January 2024, 37 states, Washington, D.C., and the territory of Puerto Rico have operational legalized sports betting, while North Carolina has legalized it though it sports betting operations will begin later in 2024.
A 1906 betting scandal between the Massillon Tigers and Canton Bulldogs, two of the top teams in professional American football in the early 1900s, led to the demise of “big-money” professional football for several years. Pete Rose, the all-time MLB leader in hits, was similarly banned from baseball in 1989 for betting on games while he was an MLB manager. All eight players were banned from playing professional baseball for the rest of their lives. The ICC shares anti-corruption jurisdiction with national cricket federations, all of which have anti-corruption rules substantially identical to those of the ICC. The betting ban, as in the case of The FA’s rules outlined above, also extends to providing inside information that the tipper could reasonably believe will be used to bet on a WBSC event.
Note – The United Kingdom formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, so check out our guide to the best UK betting sites if you reside in the UK. Our team has compiled key information about most European countries and their gambling laws. Either way, you only need an internet connection to place your bets. As the best European betting sites attract customers from so many different countries, they offer a diverse range of banking methods. It’s imperative that you sign up and place your bets with a company that holds a valid operating license.
With cash prizes available, you can still get some of the thrill without having to risk your own money. This can be especially helpful for people who can’t afford or need to dial back their sports betting but miss the experience of picking games. At CentSports, we value consensus picks in sports betting.
Racebook wagers likely follow separate promotions and rules, so confirm whether racing bets count toward the sports rollover. For live bettors, our evidence doesn’t cover in-play latency or cash-out, so we can’t compare it with the other picks on those points. Also check how Xbet pays out winnings, because card deposits rarely mean card withdrawals. First, if you prefer crypto, this offer may not apply to you, so check whether a different crypto promotion exists. It does matter if you want to test the cashier with a small amount first, which is a sensible habit with any offshore operator. Our table also lists a 1–3 day payout window, a little longer than the newer brands above, which matters to bettors who move money often.
Exact menus vary by operator and season, and we weren’t supplied full market lists for our seven picks, so check each sportsbook’s lobby for the leagues you follow. We weren’t supplied evidence on its live-betting latency or cash-out behavior, so in-play specialists should check those themselves with small stakes. These are our picks for the best offshore sportsbooks for US players who want in-play markets, but no ranking can stand in for checking a site yourself. Before signing up, check whether online sports betting is legal in your state and which operators are licensed there.
It’s one of the most recognized names in offshore sports betting. The brand has served US bettors since 2011, and that long run gives bettors a bigger body of user reports on payouts and account handling than newer brands can offer. If live wagers are excluded from rollover or only count partly, the offer is worth less to in-play specialists. A live bettor placing many small in-play bets might get there over a season. These terms matter more here than anywhere else on the list, because big matches usually come with big wagering obligations.
