Sports Betting Countries
Online betting is the process of placing real money wagers on sports, casino games, poker or other games of skill or chance through the internet or mobile/tablet. Each country and state within that country or territory may have specific laws pertaining to online betting. Please use this guide for the laws to the most prominent countries where gambling thrives with or without laws.
North America
Land-based sports betting, poker rooms, and commercial/Indian casinos are legal in some, or several, states.
Online poker is legal in three states, casinos in two states, while sports wagers is illegal on the federal and state level.
Poker rooms, casinos, and placing parlay sports bets only are legal at designated land-based locations.
Playing poker over the Internet is illegal, as well as placing sports and casino bets. However, many people in Canada play at legal offshore websites.
Middle East / West Asia
One of the most strict countries when it comes to gambling, both online and offline.
Our guides to betting in various countries around the world give you access to all of the information that you might need to know before you start betting. Discover how betting is licensed and regulated in your country, what costs are involved, and what you should be looking out for when choosing the best sports betting site. The sports betting industry expected to reach USD 8 billion by 2025, led by the innovations of the top 10 largest sports betting companies in the world. As investors and the largest sports gambling companies run up the score, the industry is heading towards a promising future as the US Supreme Court cleared the way for all 50 states offering. Sports betting losses are tax-deductible, but under very specific conditions. The most important of these conditions is that you can’t claim losses that total more than your gains. So, if you lost $5,000 on sports betting last year but took home $7,000 in the end, you’d be able to deduct all of those losses.
All forms of gambling are deemed illegal, with exception to land-based sports betting, which includes online and land-based casinos and poker as well as internet sports bets.
Wagering on horse races is the only legal form of gambling allowed.
Betting on casino games, sporting events, or poker is illegal although many Pakistanians bet over the Internet at legal sites based in other countries.
Despite over 1.3billion people, the largest growing middle class in the world and increased awareness of sportsbetting it is Federally illegal to bet in India – but like the U.S. a large portion still participate.
Outdated (100+ year law) about gaming allows many Indians to overlook the law, but banking deposits and withdraws are what hold back this betting industry.
Wagering on horse racing is allowed while all other forms of gambling are illegal, both online and offline.
All gambling activities are outlawed by the Lebanon government, with authority to block sites from Internet Service Providers.
All forms of gambling, both online and offline, are illegal in Brunei and they are in the process of increasing the penalties for violating this law.
Currently, all forms of gambling are illegal but this may change in the near future. There are politicians running for office that want to legalize gambling in their country.
The current gambling laws make it illegal to bet on casino games, poker, and sporting events. Although the country tries to block offshore online bookies, many Qatari people are successful in using this method to place bets on their favorite games.
Recently I was speaking to a friend about sports betting. He asked me who is the “Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo” of the sports betting world. It was an interesting question as who are the biggest sports bettors in the world?
The Biggest Sports Bettors In The World
Successful sports bettors don’t tend to glamour for the limelight. They have their edges in the sports betting markets and make money from it. If they were to reveal their methods and how they make money from sports betting, the markets would react and they would no longer be profitable.
So there is “no world series of sports betting” or “sports betting champions league.” There are however a few high profile sports bettors that are known among the media.
Billy Walters
Billy Walters is a big name in American sports betting. It is estimated that Walters has made tens of millions of dollars perhaps even hundreds of millions of dollars.
Walters was originally for Kentucky. He moved to Las Vegas in the early 1980’s and formed his own betting syndicate. Walters betting operation was first described in the book “The Smart Money” by Micheal Konik.
Within the book the author goes into detail about Walters (although a pseudonym is used) betting operation. How he used multiple people to get his bets on. Difficulties he faced in getting sports books to accept his bets. Alongside the lengths and planning he had to go through to be so successful.
Although he has been largely secretive about his betting operations. He has been covered on ESPN and had a small television segment made about him.
Billy Walters has long been known as one of the biggest sports bettors in Las Vegas. However has most recently been making headlines after being convicted of insider trading.
Tony Bloom And Starlizard
Tony Bloom is the owner of UK based betting syndicate “Starlizard.” He is well known name among sharp sports bettors. It is estimated that Starlizard can have as much as £1 million staked on a single outcome of a football match.
Starlizard are known to run their betting operation with same devotion and analytics of a major hedge fund. Officially Stalizard describe itself as a betting consultancy. Which uses complex statistical models to generate football odds that are sharper than those offered by the Asian bookmakers and betting exchanges.
Bloom isn’t just involved with sports betting and has many other business ventures. In 2009 he became the chairman of his hometown club after purchasing 75% stake in the club. Also investing £93 million into developing a new ground.
According to Business Insider UK the bulk of the money used in Stalizard’s operation comes from Tony Bloom. Described as a maths whiz. He is a veteran gambler and has competed in some of the highest stake poker tournaments around. In the early 2000’s he was estimated to have made millions from setting up online bookmaker and poker websites.
Much like Billy Walters, Tony Bloom is not one for the public limelight. With most articles containing second hand information about his betting activities. Bloom only chooses to talk with the media about his involvement in Bighton And Hove Albion.
Zeljko Ranogajec
Biggest Sports Betting Countries
Zeljko Ranogajec is rumoured to be one of the biggest gamblers in the world. It is estimated that his global annual turnover is more then $1 billion. Born in Australia in a family of Croatian immigrants. Zeljko first success in gambling came from the game of blackjack.
Allegedly Zeljko Ranogajec turned a bankroll of a few hundred dollars into millions through advantage play. He has also had notable wins in the game of Keno winning $7.5 million and in 2011 was inducted into the blackjack hall of fame.
When it comes to sports betting Zeljko Ranogajec is rumoured to bet significant amounts of money on horse racing. It is reported that his turnover accounts for nearly a third of the total for Betfair in Australia.
Ranogajec does not give any interviews. A lot of the speculation that surrounds him comes from second hand information. As with most large scale sports bettors there is not much for him to gain from revealing information about his betting activities.
Who Are Biggest Sports Bettors In The World?
The three sports bettors above are thought to turnover hundreds of millions perhaps billions annually. In truth though it is hard to know who the biggest sports bettors in the world are. As if you are profiting from sports betting on such a large scale it is in your interest to keep that knowledge to yourself.
Some of the biggest sports bettor in the world may also not even be winning ones. I am sure there will a few rich oil merchants or Chinese businessman. Who bet huge amounts of money for thrills without the detailed analysis needed to be successful.
Sports Betting Contest
So whist little is known about the biggest sports bettors in the world. There are at least a few individuals that rumoured to be beating the sports betting markets on a massive scale.
Interested in sports betting, matched betting, advantage play or trading?
Read my attempt at making £1,000,000 from sports betting.