The European Union can be regarded as a single entity in regards to a lot of financial affairs. That is thanks to the EU passing economic laws that applies to all its 28 member countries (that will become 27 after”Brexit”). But when it comes to sports betting, the EU members remain separate, with each responsible for creating its own legal framework.
As a result, the legality of sports betting, such as at online websites, varies from nation to nation. Below are the best EU betting websites.
USA
UNITED KINGDOM
EUROPE
ASIA
AFRICA
MEXICO
1
Betway
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888sport
888sport is a fun site that makes it simple for the beginner to begin. Additionally, it offers enough extras to keep experienced bettors interested, though some pro-bettors might be turned off.
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bet365
Bet365 serves millions of bettors around the world – the sheer variety of international leagues that they cover is unparalleled, among other perks.
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William Hill
A huge name that has been in business since 1934 doesn’t need flashy promos as long as the service is dialed-in – William Hill is that name.
http://www.williamhill.com
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5
Paddy Power
Among the most popular and esteemed gambling websites in the UK & Ireland, this family name offers some of the biggest chances collections in the business. With over 100 lines per game and a premium live-streaming service, it’s no surprise that Paddy Power overlooks the UK sportsbook marketplace.
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6
Intertops
Established in 1983 and online since 1996, Intertops is among the old guard when it comes to sports gambling. Decent odds and enticing bonuses mean their strong prestige in the sector is much more than deserved.
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7
BetOnline
Their massive maximum bonus size is a real head-turner for larger bettors but BetOnline offers something for everyone.
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8
BetVictor
BetVictor has many decades of sportsbook experience and give a strong all around product while still offering enticing promos and value-priced odds.
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9
BetDSI
BetDSI is similar to a luxury resort you can stay at to get a bargain price. Their sportsbook has offerings typically only found at the larger sites, and they offer these at an excellent price compared to others.
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10
SBG Global
Don’t be fooled by SBG’s easy appearance and little stature; an easily obtainable bonus structure and a wide variety for lines, teasers, and parlays make it a good option for casual players.
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Below, we set out the legal status of online gaming in the four biggest European betting regions: France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
As you will see, each country takes a legalize-and-regulate approach to internet sports betting. However, some are far more flexible and liberal with their licensing plan compared to others, and that seriously impacts the number of legal options available to bettors.
The table below briefly summarizes the situation in every country. The ensuing sections provide more detailed descriptions.
COUNTRY IS ONLINE SPORTS BETTING LEGAL? ARE ONLINE BOOKMAKERS REQUIRED TO HAVE A LICENSE? IS IT SMART/SAFE TO USE AN UNLICENSED SITE? DO ONLINE BETTORS Need to PAY TAX ON WINNINGS?
France Yes Yes No Yes. If more than 1,500
Germany Yes Sort of Maybe No
Ireland Yes Yes No No, except for”professionals”
Italy Yes Yes No No
Netherlands Yes, but hardly Yes No Yes, but it’s withheld from the operator
Spain Yes Yes No Yes, if over $2,500
Sweden Yes Yes Maybe No, as long as the sportsbook is accredited in EU
France
Online sports betting is legal but heavily regulated in France. To lawfully offer sports wagers to French residents, a gambling sitemust be licensed from the ARJEL (Autorit?? de r??gulation des jeux en ligne, which appropriately translates to”Regulatory Authority for Online Games”).
Considering that the French government places substantial tax burdens on operators, several internet websites register in different authorities and still attempt to supply their services to people in France.
Under the current legislative framework, this is deemed illegal. Even if an online sportsbook has a permit in a foreign jurisdiction, say Gibraltar, it cannot legally offer sports-betting services to the French public without a license from the ARJEL.
This is the case in many areas of the planet. However, the French governments are more proactive in policing it than most, going so far as to block access to certain sites from inside France.
[Even though ] the only act of placing a bet for an unlicensed sportsbook might not be prohibited under French law… using an unlicensed sportsbook still includes numerous dangers.
It must be noted that, such as in the usa, the mere act of placing a wager for an unlicensed sportsbook might not be illegal under French law. The laws have a tendency to target online betting providers instead of the individual bettors.
But, using an unlicensed sportsbook nevertheless includes numerous risks. You cannot be certain that unlicensed sites will remain accessible from within France. The authorities may take steps to block access and efficiently shut-down their existence in the country at any time, since it’s operating illegally.
Because of this, the safest path for sport bettors in France would be to use a certified sportsbook.
Figuring out which websites are accredited and which aren’t is straightforward. The ARJEL maintains an updated listing of all of the licensees on its own website: http://www.arjel.fr/-Liste-des-operateurs-agrees-.html.
The ARJEL maintains an updated list of all the licensees on its own site.
The site is in French, obviously, but if you’re using an internet browser such as Chrome, it is simple to translate the page to English. (Even though the grammar won’t be perfect, you’ll be able to decipher the vital elements.)
If (when?) Your own sports-betting efforts prove fruitful in France, bear in mind that everything over $1,500 has to be declared as income and, as such, is taxable. According to rgweek.com, online gambling is redeemed at around 9%.
Germany
The legal standing of online sports gambling in Germany is in a state of flux and has been for some time. The German government has long sought to greatly regulate the market as well as in 2012, passed an amended Interstate Treaty on Gambling, which banned online betting (and online gaming in all its forms) except for those offered by the government or accredited by the regulatory authorities. (This legislation was actually a comfort of a previous legislation, which didn’t even allow for licenses and effectively made a state monopoly.)
The new law came under siege almost as fast as it came in to effect. Importantly, the EU’s Court of Justice has ruled that the law impermissibly restricts online gaming sites based/licensed from different countries from providing their services to Germans.
[T]he EU’s Court of Justice has ruled that [Germany's online betting law] impermissibly restricts online sites based/licensed in different countries from offering their services to Germans.
The German government reacted by amending the law, but only marginally, and said amendment hasn’t come in to force. The amended law would only raise the number of licenses the government could grant; it would not offer foreign sportsbooks carte blanche to operate in Germany. It remains to be seen whether such a law — if it ever comes into force — would be deemed a suitable restriction by the courts.
What Germany is currently left with is essentially a crap heap of legislation pertaining to online sports betting. The legislation on the books need sportsbooks to have a license to operate legally, but the laws themselves (along with the licensing procedure they produce ) have been deemed impermissible by the EU courts.
In practice, a number of foreign-based sports-betting sites continue to operate in Germany (meaning that they continue to take German bettors and are still accessible from within Germany’s boundaries ). Unlike in France, in which the government have obtained a hands-on approach to restricting access to unlicensed online operators, the German government doesn’t appear to be actively trying to stop these overseas sportsbooks from operating in Germany, likely due to the condition of the existing legislation.
As the International Comparative Legal Guides’ 2017 paper on Germany says,”[T]he licensing procedure for… sports betting licenses… continues to be held incompatible with EU law… Criminal proceedings have… rarely been pioneered. … German enforcement authorities… have been unwilling to impose gambling law violations, one explanation for this likely being that German gaming law was characterised by legal doubt because of it facing severe criticism in light of EU legislation for years now.
In relation to sports betting… any enforcement actions brought against sports betting operators in a circumstance where an unlawful de facto monopoly persists (as held to be the case in Germany) is incompatible with EU law”
[I]n the rare cases when [German] governments do prosecute breaches of gaming laws, it is the operator that’s held liable, not the bettor.
The newspaper also notes , in the rare instances when the authorities do prosecute breaches of gambling legislation, it is the operator that’s held accountable, not the bettor.
The end result is that Germans can feel very safe — by the state authorities, at least — when it comes to using online gaming websites, whether those are licensed in Germany or elsewhere.
Choosing the Very Best and most-secure sportsbook in Germany does not come down to if It’s accredited, but will instead be determined by a multitude of additional factors, such as:
A record of timely payments
A standing for anonymity and safety Accessible and easy-to-use help segments A wide array of deposit and withdrawal methods Strong client support representation
A broad choice of sports markets to bet on.
Regarding taxation, just winnings from the state-run websites are taxed. Due to the disorganized and muddled legal program which now exists, there does not seem to be any procedure in place for taxing winnings out of personal online sportsbooks.
Ireland
Like most European countries, Ireland regulates online sports gambling through a licensing system. The Betting Act 2015 is the relevant law at the moment, and supplies that anyone looking to give bookmaking or gambling services to people in Ireland has to be given a permit from the Revenue Commissioners, which double as the Irish tax service.
Just like almost any regulatory strategy, this has benefits and drawbacks for the general people. The fact that sportsbooks need to cover tax and proceed through the bureaucratic hoops of obtaining a permit leads to things like higher juice on the other end.
However, the licensing system also ensures that only legitimate sportsbooks provide their solutions to Irish residents.
How?
Under the present legal framework, the officers of the corporation applying for a permit has to, inter alia, acquire certificates of fitness.
Furthermore, licenses are only granted for a couple of years at a time and, as stated by the ICLG, among the variables that the Revenue Commissioners believe during renewal applications is whether the sportsbook has paid its debts. That is vital, as bettors can’t sue sportsbooks for outstanding debts in Ireland, or vice versa. (Gambling debts are usually unenforceable.) The licensing system provides an impetus for sportsbooks to operate on the up-and-up.
As with most countries, the penalties for juvenile sports gambling fall almost exclusively about the operators. But Irish punters are well-advised to stick to licensed novels, nonetheless. Whether an online betting site is offering its solutions to Irish bettors without a license, there is going to be a concerning reason for it. Either it does not wish to cover the $10,000 license fee, it doesn’t wish to cover the applicable tax, its application was declined, etc.. No matter the reason, it contributes to serious questions regarding the sportsbook’s validity and/or financial wellbeing.
If it comes to taxation on gambling winnings, the average Irish better can rest easy. Only professional gamblers have to pay tax on their gambling profits.
Who qualifies as a “pro”? That is for the Revenue Commissioners and the courts to ascertain. Normally, it is dependent upon how far a person stakes, their degree of expertise, and whether they have another occupation.
Italy
Once upon a time, Italy was just like Germany, because it prohibited all sports gambling besides state-run sites. Just like Germany, this paradigm was deemed impermissible from the EU and Italy’s sports-betting legislation have since shifted (far back in 2006).
Currently, to operate legally in Italy, gaming sites must obtain a license from the AAMS, the regulatory authority in the country. Those that do are liable to penalties.
Quite unlike Germany, the licensing and regulatory system created in Italy was deemed acceptable by the EU’s Court of Justice as it’s much less restrictive than the process the German’s attempted to implement. To get a license, a site must only have a certain rate of turnover ($1.5M within the previous two decades ), possess its servers situated within an EU member state, fulfill certain fee and taxation obligations, and be”stable” and”reliable.”
If it comes to contraventions of the legal regime, regulations tend to target betting sites rather than bettors, and Italians who bet at unlicensed operators shouldn’t fear prosecution by state authorities.
On the other hand, the penalties and ramifications that could be levied in an unlicensed sportsbook will be sensed by this sportsbook’s users, as well.
According to ICLG.com,”[w]here a operator features gaming without a permit, he can face criminal… and civil charges. The website is going to be prohibited and added to a blacklist.”
Thus, any bettors who choose to utilize an unlicensed sportsbook at Italy danger losing access to this sportsbook from within the country.
[A]ny bettors that opt to use an unlicensed sportsbook at Italy risk losing access to that sportsbook from inside the nation. … [T]he secure play for Italian bettors would be to utilize a sportsbook that’s licensed in Italy.
As a result, the safe play for Italian bettors is to utilize a sportsbook that’s licensed in Italy. Fortunately, due to the fairly liberal licensing system (which lets up to 200 licenses), there are a multitude of options that provide competitive odds on the most common Italian markets, like soccer, F1, horse racing, tennis, and cycling.
When Italian bettors hit it rich, they get to keep all their hard-won spoils since sports-betting winnings aren’t subject to taxation in the country.
Netherlands
Counterintuitively, the typically liberal lawmakers from the Netherlands have a very conservative approach to online sports betting. At the moment, online sports gambling is illegal in the Netherlands except at the sites run by the government-controlled De Lotto business.
Regardless of the rigorous regulatory regime, many overseas sportsbooks provide their solutions to Dutch bettors. On the other hand, the regulatory authority in the Netherlands (the Kansspelautoriteit ) requires a hands-on strategy to punishing offenders and contains imposed heavy fines on a number of these websites. Because of this, many internet sportsbooks have done away with their Dutch-language options (etc.) and there are relatively few online gaming websites that appeal to Dutch clients.
While prosecution of those who gamble at such sites isn’t a large concern, the potential for Dutch bettors to lose easy access to their bankroll is a huge concern in regards to using unlicensed offshore sportsbooks. You definitely don’t want to signup with a website and then have it block Dutch IP addresses another week.
The new legal regime [place to come into effect in January 2019] enables foreign-based sportsbooks to get licenses and, consequently, offer their services to Dutch bettors.
The good news is that the situation in the Netherlands is scheduled to change very shortly. A new online gambling bill (the Online Gambling Bill) is scheduled to come into force on Jan. 1, 2019. The new legal regime will allow foreign-based sportsbooks to obtain licenses and, consequently, provide their solutions to Dutch bettors.
This will undoubtedly improve the gambling market in the Netherlands by increasing competition for clients. Up to this stage, the government-run entities were unchallenged and had small reason to enhance their product or their chances.
Concerning taxation, Dutch bettors need to pay tax at a speed or 29 percent of the winnings (over and above $449). But based on Alan Littler of Kalff Katz & Franssen Attorneys at Law,”While participants are liable for the tax due on a prize, suppliers are required to withhold the appropriate amount when paying the prize”
Spain
Since 2011 when the Spanish Gambling Act was passed, Spain has obtained a nationwide legalize-and-regulate approach to online gambling, akin to the major European neighbors covered above. To legally provide online betting services to Spanish residents, gambling sites must acquire a permit from the applicable regulatory body (the Direccion General de Ordenacion del Juego, or”DGOJ”).
This was bad news for online operators since Spain was formerly similar to the Wild West. Despite law in the provincial level, it was effectively a lawless land where anything moved and online sportsbooks operated with impunity, regardless of place, stability, etc..
Even though the imposition of a licensing regime has diminished the number of (legal) options available to Spanish bettors, that’s not necessarily a terrible thing. The regime requires websites to meet certain criteria and pay certain fees, which helps ensure that only legitimate sports-betting websites are allowed to function.
As in Italy and France, it’s best for Spanish players to use a licensed website, though the mere act of placing a bet at an official website does not appear to be illegal.
Why?
Think about the following from the ICLG:
[I]llegal offline gaming has always been duly prosecuted in Spain. However, [until 2011] Spanish authorities were very permissive with regards to illegal online gaming operations” Now, however, those who breach applicable gambling laws danger”large fines [and] the possibility of competent authorities suspending or revoking permits in case[s] of significant or continuing lack of compliance.
That means online betting sites operating without a permit are liable to get their Spanish surgeries shutdown at any point, which could, in turn, influence users’ ability to get their funds.
Given the diligence with which the government have attacked illegal offline gaming, that is not a risk smart bettors would operate.
How do you tell if you are employing an illegal site? One requirement of getting a permit is obtaining a”.es” domain , such as”Bet365.es” or even”WilliamHill.es.” In case the URL of the website you are using does not end in”. Es” it is likely operating illegally.
However, the converse isn’t necessarily true: using a”. Es” domain name doesn’t necessarily mean that a site is licensed in Spain. So Spanish bettors should take action to confirm their site of selection has the essential permit from the DGOJ to function in Spain. (To interpret that page to English using Google Chrome, follow these directions.)
Lastly, note that, when bettors in Spain acquire anything over $2,500, it has to be declared as income and is taxed accordingly.
Sweden
The Swedish government exercises strict control over the internet sports-betting industry. In theory, any company can receive a permit to provide online betting products to people in Sweden. However, in practice, just 1 thing has been granted a license, and that is the government-run Svenska Spel.
As in many jurisdictions with thick bureaucratic barriers-to-entry, many offshore sportsbooks offer their services to individuals in Sweden without a license. Unlike in areas like Ireland (where licenses are readily accessible ), the simple fact that a site is available to Swedes with no Swedish permit doesn’t imply anything nefarious (past the fact that it is prepared to operate in a legal grey area). Operating without a permit is the only option they have.
That does not mean Swedish bettors should signup with the very first site they locate. You will find both superior sportsbooks and extremely dishonest ones accessible to Swedes, and performing background research is vital to choosing a safe, secure, dependable site that caters to your particular preferences.
In some ways, the situation in Sweden is akin to that in the Netherlands. On the other hand, the regulatory body requires a more hands-on approach to punishing unlicensed sportsbooks. According to a newspaper by Erik Ullberg et al. in The Law Reviews, Swedish governments are more inclined to go after the Swedish-based companies that aid unlicensed sportsbooks compared to sportsbooks themselves:
As the government do not have jurisdiction over the offshore gaming operators, they have instead concentrated on people in Sweden who carry advertisements for these companies.
The result is that Swedish bettors who sign up at unlicensed offshore sportsbooks aren’t putting their bankroll at any real risk, unlike their counterparts in the Netherlands, {as long as|pro
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