Best International online betting sites 2025

Our best international sports betting sites list boasts some of the biggest names in online wagering. These online betting sites are regulated by the safest jurisdictions in the world and must cater to multiple regions to make our best betting sites list. The top sports betting sites in the world will have thousands of daily markets on every professional event taking place. Betting live, placing bets from mobiles, including betting apps, finding the best odds and of course the laws that apply are just some of the things we cover in our #1 Guide to the top International sports betting sites.


Top 20 sports betting sites 2025


Mobile betting sites

All of the online bookmakers we promote on this page have fully responsive mobile sites, which means you can visit them on your mobile or tablet and do everything you normally would when betting on sports.

The best international mobile betting sites include brands like Bet365, William Hill and Betway, which are known all over the world. Keep in mind these brands are at the top end of mobile betting, and online betting at some other sites can be problematic to say the least.

Many of the above betting sites will also have legal betting apps, which are available in markets where they operate, but this is dependent on the gambling laws in your country and whether you use an Android or iOS device — the two main mobile operating systems for which developers around the world create apps.

Sports betting apps are essentially a downloaded version of the website, which will dynamically update the odds while you browse. Often the app of a betting site will have features that the mobile website will not. Here are some key points about both iOS and Android sports betting apps, plus a brief explanation of web apps.

iOS betting apps

Apple is strict when it comes to online sports betting and will allow downloadable apps only in countries where there is regulation, or at the very least no laws addressing online sports betting. Basically if you have regulated sports betting sites in your country there is every chance that there will be downloadable apps available. Read our betting site reviews to find out if the company you are looking at has a downloadable iOS app.

Android betting apps

Android phones are very popular and are much more convenient than iOS for sports bettors. Android phones and tablets allow you to download non-market apps, which means you don’t have to download apps from the Google Play store. A non-market app is an application available to download directly from the betting site. These apps are basically just a more intuitive and stocked version of the mobile website.

Betting sites and web apps

It is also possible to create a web app for your favourite betting sites, which just means that you create a shortcut on your mobile or tablet desktop directly to the bookie. These web apps are available on common phone brands such as iOS and Android.


What sports can I bet on?

Really the sports you can bet on are limitless, with most professional, and even some not-so-professional, sports having markets framed by leading betting sites. Some of the most popular sports to bet on from around the world include:

Basketball: Arguably the No.1 sport in the USA, basketball has a huge reach around the world with most countries boasting a professional league. The NBA is a clear No.1, with the EuroLeague, Spanish, Turkish, German, Italian and Australian professional leagues probably the next best in the world. The best basketball betting sites feature odds on every professional and many amateur basketball competitions around the world. Basketball betting is exceptionally popular in the USA, but the NBA does have a reach into most countries in the world.

Cricket: Particularly in the subcontinent, cricket has a huge footprint. The T20 explosion has seen the sport return to the top of the totem pole in terms of sports betting, with the short match length and bountiful betting options making it an ideal betting medium. Test cricket and one-day cricket also draw plenty of attention with punters. Find out more about global cricket betting.

Football/soccer: The world game has its biggest fan base in Europe, but pretty much every country in the world has some interest in football. Often known as soccer in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. The next FIFA World Cup is due in 2022 in Qatar. The Women’s game is also expanding quickly, with the World Cup played in France drawing unprecedented betting interest in 2019. All of the top online betting sites we promote, unless they focus one sport, have got extensive football betting available. Football betting is insanely popular in Africa, where there has been an explosion in online wagering. Popular football leagues include The South African Premier Division and the Ghana Premier League.

Rugby union: While rugby is not as popular as it once was, it still has its rusted-on followers across the globe. The sport has largely been dominated by New Zealand in modern times, though South Africa rose to the occasion at the 2019 World Cup. Other popular rugby events include the Super Rugby competition, played between the best club teams in the southern hemisphere; the Bledisloe Cup, played between Australia and New Zealand; and the Six Nations championship in Europe.

Rugby League: The other code of rugby is popular in Australia, England, France and New Zealand. In terms of betting, at last check all of the betting sites promoted on this page have markets for various rugby league competitions around the world. Rugby League at club level is probably at its strongest in Australia, where the NRL takes pride of place. All of the best online betting sites will have free bet and promotional deals in place surrounding the bigger rugby league competitions and international fixtures. This is particularly true in places like New Zealand, Great Britain and Australia where sports betting is very popular.

Tennis: Spearheaded by the four grand slams, tennis betting is popular all year round, particularly in countries with legal live betting. Other popular betting events on the tennis circuit include The Masters series and Davis Cup, which pits country against country. Tennis is also part of the Olympics. Our guide to tennis betting can help you begin your wagering journey.

Baseball: While predominantly popular in the USA, baseball has many fans right around the world. Most focus is on Major League Baseball, the top-flight US league. Baseball, with its stats-driven approach, is very popular with professional punters. Finding an International betting site with good margins is crucial if you are to be successful betting on baseball, with this sport truly one for the grafters among us.

Ice hockey: Ice hockey betting is mainly done in Canada, the USA and many colder European countries. There are generally futures markets on popular leagues available, plus match-day markets a day or two out from most pro games. Our betting on ice hockey guide is a good starting point if you’re looking to learn. All of the betting sites advertised on this page have extensive odds on ice hockey competitions from around the globe.

eSports: While we are dubious about the merits of eSports being a true sport (yep, we’re picturing heavy-set kids on Nintendos), the numbers don’t lie, with billions of people around the globe watching games such as World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Dota 2 and League of Legends. These numbers are starting to result in more bets being placed. There are even dedicated esports betting sites springing up all the time.

Golf: The gentleman’s game is a great one for those who like betting, with plenty of lucrative opportunities out there. The majors especially attract significant betting interest. The World Gambling List has one of the leading authorities on golf betting among its staff. We love betting on golf. The best golf bookmakers include many of the top online betting sites in the United Kingdom.

Many of the best online betting sites feature netball odds and promotions

Netball: This sport is predominantly played in countries like the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia, but has a growing presence in other countries, including many African nations. Netball betting is considered a niche at betting sites, but you will find wagering on various domestic leagues and international fixtures when they are running. Outright betting on tournament or league wins and placings is also possible at some online betting sites. Expect netball betting coverage to continue to grow as more prominence is given to the sport on various TV stations around the world.

Table tennis: One of the most popular sports in the world, courtesy of its insane popularity in China and other Asian countries. Some of the big table tennis events on the world stage include the Olympics and World Championships. Table tennis betting is available at all of the top international sports betting sites.

Swimming: We have always felt swimming would be a great betting sport, with its short races and 1, 2, 3 finishes, just like horse racing and car racing. While it has not taken off as a punting pursuit, we think the emergence of the International Swimming League (ISL) and other new FINA-backed events could breathe new life into the sport. How about actually getting swimming back on television for starters?

Winter sports wagering is available at all the best international betting sites

Winter Sports: The Winter Olympics, held every four years, is the pinnacle of winter sports, but there is massive interest in the various pursuits that fall under this banner. Finding odds on winter sports will largely depend on what is running at any one time. For instance, if the Olympics is looming you will find thousands of betting markets, but if it’s just a lowly competition in Europe, you will only find the biggest events covered. This aspect is improving all the time. In summary, if you are looking to bet on winter sports you will find everything you need at the betting sites we promote on this page.


Major International sporting events in 2025


Future sports events with early betting markets

  • Summer Olympics 2028: While we’re always a little skeptical about betting on the Olympics, without a doubt there are some events that make great betting sports. We’re looking at games such as basketball, football and field hockey, which all have avid betting industries running around them. Another event that we’re really looking forward to at the Summer Olympics is the table tennis, with China the favourites to once again win the teams events in both the men and women. The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles and run from July 14 to 30.
  • Women’s T20 World Cup: Played biannually, the T20 Women’s World Cup will be played in Bangladesh starting in October 2024, with Australia, which has won the last three titles (2018, 2020 and 2023), expected to again push deep into the tournament. England and India are also expected to feature prominently, while you can never write off the West Indies, who stunned with their 2016 victory.
  • ICC Cricket World Cup: The championship of one-day cricket, the World Cup features the 10 best countries in the world. Australia have the best record at the cricket World Cup, and are the defending champions having defeated India in the 2023 final in India. The next edition of the 50 over World Cup will be hosted by Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe in 2027. It will be the first time Namibia is hosting a major cricket tournament.
  • FIBA Basketball World Cup: The last incarnation of the FIBA World Cup began in August 2023 and was hosted by the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. The FIBA Basketball World Cup features the best countries in the world going toe-to-toe. The 2023 edition was won by Germany with the USA again missing out, finishing fourth. The next edition of the FIBA World Cup will be played in 2027 and will be hosted by Qatar, whose remarkable ability to attract sporting events shows no signs of wavering.
  • Rugby World Cup: The next Rugby World Cup will be played in Australia in 2027. Rugby might not be as popular as it once was in some countries such as Australia, but there is significant growth in places like Japan and the World Cup is a great showcase for this. South Africa have won the last two editions of the RWC tournament and again loom as major threats in 2027, while rugby power New Zealand will be desperate to regain their mantle as no.1.

Betting Promotions & Bonus Bets

One of the best things about betting on sports and racing online is that you can claim all sorts of bonus bets and promotions. This is true whether you are a new customer or an existing one.

Often the top online betting sites will have some great sign up offers to entice you to join, but this will largely depend on where you are in the world, with some countries have restrictions on new member sign up offers. Some of the common types of bonus you will find the best betting sites includes:

Basically the offering of bonuses at betting sites will vary from site to site and even from country to country (depending on local laws). There are also many more bonus bet and promotional offers available than we have mentioned here. The World Gambling List will write further articles on this topic in the future.


Step-by-step guide: How to join sports betting sites

The process of signing up at betting sites is actually quite simple once you have identified a website that will accept your patronage. We talk more about finding the best online betting sites on this page, but not in this section, instead this section will run you through everything you need to know about the sign up process at betting sites:

  1. Choosing online betting sites

    This is actually pretty self-explanatory, you will either be in a grey, white or black market depending on your location. In short you either have regulation surrounding sports betting, your laws fail to address sports betting or it is banned. The online betting companies we advertise on this page are all regulated and will only accept punters from places like the United Kingdom or grey markets like New Zealand or many others.

  2. Registering at sports betting sites

    After you have landed on your chosen betting site you will need to sign up. This is a straight-forward process where you give over things like your name, address, phone number and other personal details. The websites we promote on the WGL all boast the highest security protocols.

  3. Sign up bonuses at online betting sites:

    You need to decide whether you accept a sign up bonus from a bookie. They can be a great way to receive a free bet, or check out betting sites before committing your own money. Remember bonus offers come with wagering requirements and are not REAL money, until they are cleared. You can read more about betting sites promotions on this page.

  4. Funding your betting account:

    There will be various methods to fund your betting account available at the websites we promote on here. These include things like bank cards and web wallets. If a betting site caters to specific countries, they are likely to have deposit options to match. For example in Australia you will find POLi as a deposit method at betting sites, but you won’t elsewhere.

  5. Placing bets at the best online betting sites:

    If you’ve managed to get this far, you should be able to work out how to place a bet. Most betting sites have similar layouts on both desktop and mobile, which allows you to easily browse markets. After this when you click on the odds your bet will be placed in a bet slip, where you can parlay or accumulate your bets or place them as singles.

  6. Cashing out winning bets:

    There is generally not as many withdrawal options at online betting sites, as there is deposit methods. Some sites will even make you withdraw using the same method as you deposited with. It’s really important to note that you must have supplied your real details, because you will have to verify your account before you can cash out.


Deposit options at betting sites

Online betting sites will have many different deposit options to choose from. These online betting deposit options range from your vanilla methods like Visa and credit cards, right through to things like web wallets and cryptocurrencies. Some of the common deposit methods you will find at betting sites globally include:

CARDS:

Visa sports betting sites
Visa
Mastercard
Mastercard
Credit Card betting sites
Credit Cards
Debit Cards
Debit Cards
Diners Club
Diners Club
American Express betting sites
American Express

EWALLETS:

Instadebit betting sites
Instadebit
Paypal international betting sites
Paypal
Neteller betting sites
Neteller
Skrill betting sites
Skrill
ecoPayz betting sites
ecoPayz

INSTANT BANKING:

iDebit
iDebit
eCheck betting sites
eCheck

CRYPTOCURRENCY:

Bitcoin
Bitcoin
Ethereum betting sites
Ethereum

Customer service at betting sites

When you are initially joining an online betting site, it’s important to check if there is a customer service department to look after you if things go wrong. By this we mean is there a live chat service, a phone number or even a manned email address to help you out of your pickle.

One of the major red flags at betting sites is if you land on the site and you can’t find a way to contact them. Regulation at the top betting sites usually stipulates that customers must have a valid path to reach a bookmaker and a dispute resolution service.

Most of the time if you are looking for customer service at betting sites problems can be resolved quickly. This is especially true with online betting sites we promote on this page, with our betting experts spending a considerable amount of time vetting each site before we add them. You can read our bookie reviews for further information about each of the betting sites we promote.


Verifying your betting account

verifying accounts at betting sites is part of the Know Your Customer protocol brought in by gambling regulators.

One of the overlooked factors when opening a new betting account is the verification process. This is put in place at the request of gambling regulators and is to stop money laundering and other unsociable gambling habits from taking place at betting sites.

The verification process at betting sites is about proving your identity, so if you haven’t given your correct details during sign up you will not be able to complete it.

The growing trend during the verification process is an online form, where you fill in things like your government ID number or your driver’s license number. Betting sites will then verify your account automatically and you will be free to use their full facilities, including having the ability to withdraw any winnings.

Traditionally the verification process at an sports betting site saw you sending in documents to prove your identity, via fax or email. Or i’m sure most would allow you to send in your documents via post.

The documents that you might be required to send in during the verification process at sports betting sites will include things like scans of a photo ID (Passport, driver’s license, government ID) and something prove your current address (utility bill or bank statement) and some will even require you to give over your tax details, depending on where you are in the world.


Are online betting sites legal?

Defining sports betting laws in an article targeting an international audience is almost impossible, but there are three categories you could break it down into: grey markets, black markets and white markets. These three categories are easy to explain, but you will need to work out where you fit into the picture.

Sports betting sites are generally expected to abide by the regulations set out in their licensing agreement. These licensing agreements between an operator and a gambling regulator vary in their strength and applicability. For instance, an online bookmaker in the UK, that does not have a license in Australia, will legally not be able to operate here. But sports betting sites based out of Curacao will face no pressure to stop offering Australians wagering options from their regulator. Basically, gambling regulators play a major role in staying safe when betting online, and you should understand which ones are the best for your country.


Betting sites – By country

When you are betting online, it’s important to remember that each country around the globe has different laws surrounding sports betting. This section will give you a key run-down of the markets the WGL currently has guides for.

Betting sites in Australia

Australia has some of the best betting sites in the world, including some big international brands like bet365, Unibet and Ladbrokes. The best Australian betting sites are licenced by a state or territory government, with the Northern Territory Racing Commission surprisingly the biggest regulator down under. Other legal Australian betting sites with good reputations include Sportsbet, TopSport and Neds.

Canada betting sites

Canadians are in the glorious position of being able to sign up at most sports betting sites, largely because their government has not outlawed online wagering with offshores sites. The top betting sites for Canadians are generally licensed in the United Kingdom and Malta and will cater specifically to the local currency.

Betting Sites in New Zealand

New Zealand, much like Canada, has got grey laws surrounding online sports betting. This means you can bet with any of the offshore online betting companies legally, or without fear of reprisal. Many of the best New Zealand sports betting sites are based out of Australia, but the recent ban on bonus bets there has made it far less desirable to bet with their bookies. Instead any of the betting sites on this page accept bets from New Zealand.

Indian sports betting sites

India, through its crazy association with cricket, is one of the biggest betting countries in the world. They also have rather lax laws surrounding online sports betting and citizens don’t get in trouble for wagering online. Where they may get in trouble is if they bet with the illegal bookies dotted throughout most states in India. The best online bookmakers for Indians include many found on this page.

South African betting sites

South Africa has a legal and vibrant sports betting scene, with horse racing, cricket, rugby and football all prominent among punters. The legal online betting sites in South Africa must be licensed and taxed by the government of one of the nine provinces in the country. Some of the bigger sports betting brands in South Africa include Sportingbet and HollywoodBets.

UK sports betting sites

Many of the top online betting sites in the world are founded and based out of the United Kingdom, with these including names like bet365, William Hill and Ladbrokes. The best UK betting sites will also often accept players from other countries with non-existent or unclear gambling laws. Many also hold multiple licenses, with it not uncommon for UK betting sites to also hold a Malta license. The UK Gambling Commission is the regulator in Great Britain, although there are several smaller UK-based and UKGC approved regulators, with these being Gibraltar and the Isle of Man.


Commonly asked questions about betting sites

What odds formats do betting sites use?

Fractional, Decimal and American odds are the three common types you will see online in 2020. Fractional is primarily used in the United Kingdom, while Decimal is used in places like Australia and New Zealand and American is used in the USA. Often a betting site will have all three available and you can simply hit a button to change the format.

Can I use Paypal to bet on sports?

This will depend on where you are in the world, if sports betting is regulated and Paypal is legal in your country you are likely to find Paypal offered as a deposit option.

What country bets the most?

This question gets posed a lot and it’s hard to answer with so many countries not having regulated sports betting. The most recent stats we have seen show Australians bet the most per head in the world.

How do we define “International betting sites”?

As a general rule if an online betting site brand is known all around the globe, they probably service a multitude of countries and we would define them as an international betting site. We’re talking about global betting sites giants like Bet365, William Hill and Paddy Power. We won’t include a great online bookmaker on our international betting sites list if they only service one country. We intend for this page to highlight the biggest and best International online betting sites.

Why are online betting sites better than retail wagering?

Online betting has revolutionised the way people bet, meaning we can do it while at home, or even on the bus on the way to work. No longer do we have to make a time-sapping trek to the local betting shop, instead we can just take out our mobile phone, or bet on our computers. Betting sites will also give you promotions and bonus offers that you would never see in a retail wagering establishment.

Are sports betting sites bonus offers worth my time?

This is a loaded question, because there are bonus bet offers that are are great and there are free bets that have too strict a wagering requirement and make them nothing more than a marketing ploy. Judge each betting sites bonuses on their own merits.