For centuries, betting on sports has been in high demand in different parts of the world, and the activity continues to evolve as generations come and go. In our generation, the biggest change we’ve seen in the world of sports betting is the shift to online sports betting from in-person betting. Thanks to exceptional player-friendly platforms such as GGBet, a lot of players can actively place wagers on both local and international markets in a few clicks from their PCs or mobile devices.
As popular as sports betting has become, not all countries have accepted the activity wholly within their jurisdictions. Although some regions are working on revising their laws and making room for sports betting, particularly because of the tax incentives that the activity brings, others are adamant, and they consider it a vice that should never be given a second thought.
While we’re on the subject, it is worth noting that there are regions where sports betting has outrightly been outlawed, and there are those where the law is not clear about the legality or illegality of the activity. For regions where there’s a legal loophole, international sportsbooks fight to capture the local market. To give you a clear picture of what the sports betting industry looks like at the moment, here’s a highlight of the most prosperous legal betting markets:
The United Kingdom
Sports betting and gambling, in general, is an integral part of the lives of Brits. Gambling in the region has a history so rich that it is difficult to separate one from the other in a discussion. Both local and international bookmakers with a presence in the UK take in millions of pounds in wagers from players who wager on their favorite sports.
Sure enough, one of the main reasons why sports betting in the UK is immensely popular is because of the love the citizens have for sports like football, rugby, and horse racing. UK’s Premier League, for example, is considered the most prestigious football league globally, and it enjoys a massive fan base in the UK and worldwide.
Macau
Macau, the special administrative region of China, is another incredibly popular gambling hub. However, it is the dazzling casino business that gives Macau its reputation in the gambling industry. All things considered the most interesting bit about Macau is that most of its customers come from mainland China where gambling is prohibited.
The USA
For the United States of America, things are a little different as the regulation of sports betting isn’t controlled on a national level but by individual states, as they see fit. Initially, the activity was under a blanket ban by federal law except for a few states like Nevada, but things took a turn for the better in 2018 when the said law was repealed. Currently, over a dozen states have legalized sports betting, and it continues to be one of the fastest-growing industries.
Australia and New Zealand
Australians enjoy sports betting too. The gaming industry knows no boundaries seeing as there’s only one restriction – the ban on how bookies broadcast their advertisements. Australians can place bets via online sportsbooks and land-based retail kiosks. Besides the local experience, the various gambling companies based in Australia have made their presence bigger in other countries.
By the same token, New Zealanders, who are colloquially known as Kiwis, enjoy betting, and the local industry is growing in bounds and leaps. On top of sports betting, locals also relish other types of betting, including lotteries, online poker, daily fantasy, card games, and more.
African Countries
Thanks to the huge love that African countries have for sports, many of them are big sports betting markets regulated by law in the past time.
In a country like Kenya, for example, betting has been legal since the 1960s, and currently, online sports betting is also legal. According to a recent study, Kenya was found to have the highest number of betting youths (between 18 and 35 years) in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 76% of youth gambling an average of the equivalent of $50 on football bets weekly.
Unlike Kenyans, Nigerians have been taking part in sports betting for just one and a half decades. Sports betting was legalized in the country back in 2005 by the National Lottery Regulation Commission. Nigeria doesn’t restrict betting on sports, and a large amount of online as well as retail sports bookies have emerged on the marketplace.
South Africa is also another big market for sports betting. It has a strong sports culture and a ton of sports leagues that locals enthusiastically follow and support. Hence, a lot of sports betting goes on when the seasons are taking place.
Wrapping up
To cut a long story short, there are lots of countries where betting on sports is legal. Besides the ones that we’ve mentioned above, sports betting is legal and popular in the likes of France, Malta, South Korea, Turkey, Ireland, Singapore, Germany, Argentina, Greece, Sweden, and many more.
On the other hand, there are countries where gambling has been explicitly banned by the law of the land, mostly because of its addictive nature. In a country like the United Arab Emirates, for instance, gambling is illegal, and you could face a jail term of up to 2 years if you are found gambling. North Korea, Singapore, Cyprus, Cambodia, Lebanon, and Poland also fall on the list of countries where gambling in its entirety is against the law.
