The sports betting scenes from the Old and New Worlds (Europe, North America, Asia and nowadays Africa) are vastly different, in almost all aspects. The one place they do look the same is sheer size and growth.
In this guide to online betting in Europe we will go over how to choose the best European betting sites, what the different bonuses entail, and what features really help to elevate a bookie to the very top of the betting scene.
How to Find the Best European Betting Sites
The entire sports betting industry in the World has grown due to the factors we’ve mentioned time and time again – technological advances, globalization, and ease of access. Asian markets were quick to follow this trend, and nowadays, the biggest difference between betting sites is the importance they give certain sports over others.
Americans, of course, favour baseball and American football, while Asians love cricket and horse racing – and, of course, everyone loves football. What do European betting enthusiasts love? The number of people who bet on sports online in the EU is almost impossible to quantify, but we’re surely speaking about a good few tens of millions.
These customers are always looking for the best sportsbook to partner up with, but with so many options lying around, can we really and definitely name a bookmaker as the best in Europe? That’s surely a hard task, especially since most online bookmakers have moved to tax havens such as Gibraltar, to give their customers better odds, fewer taxes, and more freedom.
Finding the best European betting site is not always easy. Most bookmakers will claim that they have the best betting markets and features, with these likely to provide you with everything you need to bet on the competition. We usually recommend looking for a bookmaker that gives you the features and perks that you value the most when betting. For example, if live streaming and competitive odds are at the top of your list of requirements, then a bookie that offers these will rank highly for you.
Recommended European Sports Betting Sites
Below, we will go over a number of the most important features you should look out for when looking for the best European sports betting sites and how they will likely help to enhance your betting experience.
Mr Play Sport
Welcome Offer: Up To €100 Welcome Bonus For New Customers*
Karamba Sport
Welcome Offer: €10 Free Bet For New Customers*
What Makes the Best Sports Betting Sites?
We have listed a few of the most important features and while the best will have most of these, it is important to note that they will not always boast every single feature. To be the best in your eyes, they may only have a small handful of them.
Live Streaming
The beautiful game like football or tennis is best enjoyed live, rather than through a text commentary. Therefore, many European betting sites have flocked to offer live streaming of certain events to their paying customers. The ability to watch a match as you bet can help you to spot the smallest of changes in the game, with the slightest hint of a turnaround in the match, something you could pick up on, wager on, and then win big on. There are usually a few requirements you must adhere to in order to live stream, but they are worth it if they allow you to watch and bet on a particular match.
Extensive Markets
The range of markets that a bookmaker offers is incredibly important as this will see you given the chance to bet on both popular and niche betting markets, rather than just the mundane ones that all bookies offer. For example, many tournaments will likely see match winner, both teams to score (BTTS), match winner and BTTS, anytime/first/last goal scorer, 3 way handicap and many more offered. Alongside this, you will also see more niche betting opportunities like time of goal betting and Asian handicap markets too.
For newer bettors, having a range of niche markets may not sound like a particularly important factor. However, once you have become comfortable with the betting options and you are looking to win big on a lesser-known market that offers pretty good odds, having niche betting markets can be a great feature.
Competitive Odds
When bettors would simply go to a brick and mortar shop and bet on the market they wanted to, they would not really take much stock of the odds offered by another bookie, especially if they were not affiliated to them before. However, now that players can easily sign up for betting accounts with a number of different bookies, it means that the site that has the best odds will often be the one a customer chooses to bet with.
You can check which betting site has the best odds by using an odds comparison matrix. These sites will display a number of the biggest bookmakers and their odds on certain sports, games and events side by side. Betting with a bookie that offers the best odds will mean that you do not need to risk as much in order to win a decent amount.
Promotions
The world of promotions is a fickle one as they come and go so quickly. You may sign up with a bookie with a promotion that you think is good, only to find that they have updated and vastly improved on the promotion a short time later. Of course, you cannot predict when a bookie will change their offer and whether the new one will be better for your style of betting. What you can do is ensure that any promotion you look to take is one that you understand how to use and works well with your style of play.
For example, if you want to keep your gambling outgoings quite low, then signing up with a bookie that offers a free bet of bet €5 get €5 is a good idea. Of course, the free bet you get will be relatively small, but the amount you most deposit/wager will also be low. We will go into the different types of betting offers later in this guide to ensure you know exactly what sort of offer you are getting involved with.
Which Euro Betting Site Should I Choose?
This is completely down to your own personal preference. If you like having the ability to live stream different sports along with having an excellent array of markets, then the likes of Betiton and Mr Play may be the bookies for you. However, if you prefer to have Bet Builders and a good range of payment methods, then other betting sites may be a better choice. For those that are still unsure, an established one is a very safe and impressive choice. The world’s biggest bookmaker does not disappoint with their live streaming, Bet Builder, payment methods, range of sports and extensive betting markets.
About Betting Bonuses At European Gambling Sites
In this section, we will give a quick overview of what each of the major types of betting bonuses there are and how you would go about using them when betting on sports.
Welcome Bonus – A welcome bonus is simply the promotion you are given by a bookmaker when you sign up with them for the first time. For many bettors, the welcome offer will be the main reason why they pick one bookie over another, simply because their offer looks better or is better for their style of betting.
Free Bets – A free bet is the standard new customer offer for the industry at the moment. This will usually come in the form of a bet €5 get €5. This simply means that you need to sign up with that bookie and place a minimum bet of €5 to unlock a €5 free bet. This free bet can usually be used on any other event, although there are often further terms and stipulations that you must adhere to. This bet can offer much more value than just betting €5 get €5 though, with free bets of €20 and more often available.
Risk Free Bet – A risk free bet will allow you to place a bet knowing that if you lose, you will get all or part of your stake back, usually as a free bet or bonus. It simply allows new customers to wager and feel slightly safer in the fact that if they make a foolish bet, they will at least get something back, rather than losing all they had staked.
Enhanced Odds – This is a type of promotion that will see certain bets given a boost, which is why they are also known as a bet boost. For example, a bookie may have England at 5/1 to win, but they then bet boost this to give England odds of 10/1. This new price sees England offering a bigger return if they are to win, making them more attractive to back. Of course, you should know that if you win when betting on a bet boost it will usually be returned as free bets rather than real cash.
Matched Deposit – A matched deposit is one way in which you can really swell your playing pot if you are willing to wager more money. This offer will often look like “100% matched deposit up to €100”. This simply means that if you deposit €100, then the bookie will credit you with a matched deposit of €100. This is the same for if you deposit €20, which would see you given €20 back. Be careful with this offer as a matched deposit can be 100% or even 200%, but it can also be 25% and 50%. A 50% matched deposit means that if you deposit €100, you would be credited with €50, meaning you have to deposit more to get more back.
Most Popular Sports For Betting In Europe
Of course, the biggest and most popular option is football and the market is full of numerous sign-up bonuses from the best football betting sites, especially due to the huge number of games and the popularity of the sport.
Every major or minor European country has at least a few divisions of professional football teams, which account for a enormous number of games every weekend. After football, Europeans have divided preferences depending on the country we’re speaking about.
Tennis is second in most places, except countries from Eastern Europe, where basketball is more popular. Also, horse racing betting is mostly popular in the UK and not much outside it, while ice hockey is only watched and played seriously in a few countries (Nordics, Czech Republic, Russia). Other sports are less popular, but still take part in the great industry that is European sports betting.
What Sports Betting Markets Should I Bet On?
Outright Betting – An outright betting market allows you to wager on an event that will usually conclude at the end of a tournament or event. For Champions League or The French Open (Roland Garros), you can bet on markets like tournament winner, top goal scorer or set winner.
For example, the top goal scorer market will see you wagering on the player that you think will score the most goals across the whole tournament. If your player does score the most times out of any player, then your bet will win. While it will be settled after the competition has ended, do not despair if your player and their team are knocked out early. If they are leading the goal scoring charts when they are knocked out, they still have a chance to finish as the top goal scorer even though they have been eliminated.
Match Betting – This is quite a large area of betting that involves an array of options. For example, you could be betting on the match winner, both teams to score, goal scorer markets, handicaps, goal times, correct score, half-time/full-time and many more. This area simply applies to what you can bet on in each individual game, and this makes up the main bulk of the betting markets.
In Play Betting – Live betting, also known as in-play betting, refers to when you are able to bet on events as they change in-game. For example, you could bet on Belgium to win their game against France 60 minutes into the contest, rather than pre-match. This can often offer good value on previously odds-on picks as the game may have gone in such a way that, for example, a Belgium win now looks unlikely. In-play betting is fast and unforgiving, with naive wagers or lack of concentration when looking to back a market often seeing you missing out on the chance to win big.
Mobile Betting – Mobile betting is one of the biggest facets of gambling these days. Mobile betting is when you are able to place bets and use a sportsbook on your mobile. Most, if not all bookies offer this ability these days as the majority of betting is now done via mobile platforms. Mobile apps are also available for bettors, while more traditional bettors can still use desktop or brick and mortar offerings.
Gambling Legislation In European Countries
Of course, there are lots of great betting agencies we haven’t even mentioned here. Due to the size of the industry, you can find at least 4-5 outstanding options to start a betting account within every country, but these aren’t the same brokers over and over again. This is due to regulation issues – some countries have more tight gambling rules than others.
Europe, in general, has a much more relaxed gambling policy than the U.S. or Asia, but there still are significant differences from one country to the other. Some legislation is definitely need to control the levels at which the gaming industry can operate, but if enjoyed responsibly, online sports betting is a largely pleasurable pastime.
The United Kingdom have very few restrictions, and it is actually quite difficult to escape advertising for UK sports betting sites. Without a doubt, the biggest number of options can be found in the United Kingdom, which currently has the most brokers. Although they have moved their headquarters to countries like Malta or Gibraltar, these bookmakers offer legal, tax-free betting for punters. Gambling can be advertised both on TV and other means of marketing, as we can clearly see in almost any game from the English Premier League.
The English Premier League has an ever increasing global presence, and games in this division are incredibly popular with the betting public. Whether it be fans have a small bet on their team while they watch the game, or serious punters having big money bets on Premier League favourites such as Manchester City and Chelsea FC, the betting turnover on the EPL is second to none.
Spain and Italy have similar rules and require international bookmakers to first receive an exclusive license to operate in these countries. Spain also taxes any winnings larger than €2,500 with by 20%.
In Italy the rules regarding online gambling have been relaxed somewhat in recent years following complaints about Italian legislation back in 2003. Since 2006, online sports betting has been liberalized in Italy and there are now a lot more choices for Italian punters. One of the big draws in this beautiful country is obviously the top level football, and Serie A is the single most popular gambling market for Italian sports bettors.
The Serie A is one of the top football leagues in the whole of Europe and is currently ranked in fourth position by UEFA’s league coefficient. Juventus have dominated Serie A over the past few seasons and have rewarded favourite backers very well indeed over the past few years.
When it comes to sports betting in Spain, the situation is also quite relaxed. Residents of this nation have been able to take part in online gaming for a number of years, but in 2012, new laws were passed which meant a number of bookmakers (casas de apuestas in Spanish) were forced to gain a Spanish licence, or ply their trade elsewhere.
Companies such as Unibet and Pinnacle Sports made the decision to shut their doors to Spanish punters, but there are still a number of reputable firms that accept the business of Spaniards. As you might expect, La Liga is the most sought after of all sports betting choices for the Spanish, and this league also has a massive following throughout the whole of Europe.
Germany probably has the most confusing betting laws, since they are both national and more limited state laws. The German government has issued very few licenses to work inside Germany, which is why citizens of this country are targeted by a large number of international brokers.
The Bundesliga has now overtaken Serie A as the third best league in Europe, and this division is definitely one of the most popular choices with the betting public. FC Bayern Munich are the most successful side in Bundesliga history, and this club are also a dominant force when it comes to the UEFA Champions League. Matches in the Bundesliga are always well attended, and it is actually the number one football league in the world in terms of attendance.
France has only opened its doors to foreign bookmaker after 2010, so the palette isn’t exactly as large as one would hope. Betting exchanges (like Betfair) are still illegal, and the French law also has coined the term of “professional gambler” – who must pay a fraction of his income to the state as tax.
Nordic countries function exactly how you’d expect – extremely liberal, if a bookmaker has a license to function in the country. Although there are many more particularities and we could go on and on about legal matters, the bottom line is easy: the betting market is becoming more and more relaxed, and the EU as a whole has decided to liberalize the market as much as possible.
It is, of course, a great source of income for each state and a great way to pass the time (and why not, make some money) for private citizens. As much as some people want to encourage the development of the industry as much as possible, things like gambling addictions, improper use of funds and match fixings are a sad part of reality, and must be considered in any debate.
Deposit And Withdrawal Methods At European Betting Sites
The most popular deposit and withdrawal methods for European betting sites are e-wallets like Paypal, Neteller and Skrill. These payment methods are extremely trustworthy and most Europe-based bettors prefer e-wallets for their gambling activity.
Of course there are alternative options, too. For example, credit and debit cards, bank transfers and cheques are used by many punters also. Ultimately, bitcoin betting sites are getting more and more recognized by punters as they offer an additional option for deposits and withdrawals.
Conclusion
That being said, we hope to have at least given you a glance of the vastness of the European betting scene. It has tens of millions of players which are sought after by thousands of betting sites, across all the countries of the European Union. These online bookmakers face all kinds of challenges, ranging from technological, social and technical to political and legislative. It’s certainly not easy to manage, especially with so many differences between different countries, but that’s what makes the EU so unique – Unity in Diversity.
- What are the best betting sites in Europe?
- What are the best markets for betting on sports?
- What features do the best European betting sites offer?