If you are serious about your sports betting and you want to optimize your chances of success, it makes good sense to move to the right country. Here is an overview of the best countries to live in for sports bettors.
Here are the things we take into account:
- The legal status of sports betting
- Access to the best bookmakers and exchanges
- Taxation
- Internet speeds
- The general costs of living
Let’s have a look at it…
Contents
1. Malta
Malta is a great place for sports betting. As you might know, many bookmakers are licensed here, and you get access to Pinnacle – arguably the best sportsbook in the world.
Meanwhile, you can also use Betfair at 5% commission (if you bet enough you can even get down 2% commission). Brokers are easily available. SportMarket is one example of a broker that accepts customers based in Malta.
Gambling winnings aren’t currently taxed in Malta, so if you earn a lot from sports betting, it will go right into your own pocket.
If you want to find a job within the bookmaking industry, Malta is full of opportunities for that. It will also be a solid place to start a betting-based company.
2. United Kingdom
The UK is another great country for sports bettors. It has a rich history of sports betting, and you will find many communities dedicated to betting in the UK.
Betting shops are extremely common, so it is easy to place bets in person. This will help you avoid personal limitations which often happen online.
Speaking of online betting, there is a wide variety of bookmakers you can use in the UK – Ladbrokes, William Hill, Bet365 and many other big books. You can also bet with all the main exchanges, and Betfair has a lower commission rate in the United Kingdom than in most other nations. Unfortunately, the bookmaking market does not include Pinnacle and several top brokers (such as Sportmarket), which is the reason why the UK only gets second place on the list.
Tax-free winnings are also very nice, so if you have ever wanted to live the pro sports bettor lifestyle, the United Kingdom is worth considering. London would be the prime destination due to the gigantic number of betting shops in the country’s capital.
3. Canada
You can bet with most major bookmakers and exchanges if you live in Canada. The market is pretty open and you will almost always be able to get the top odds on the market if you open the right accounts.
Internet services are great in Canada, so that is great for live streaming and for placing bets immediately.
Gambling winnings are tax-free as long as it is not your main income. Of course, this is a grey area that could prove to be an issue for full-time bettors who live off of their bankroll withdrawals.
4. Brazil
Brazil’s betting market is still not regulated, so that means all the top books in the world are accepting Brazilian customers. You have a huge amount of bookmakers to choose from if you live in Brazil.
Combined with an awesome lifestyle – beautiful nature, great beaches, amazing food and socially-minded people – Brazil might be a solid choice. The cost of living in Brazil is also lower than in Western Europe and North America.
5. Denmark
Gambling is very popular in Denmark. There are several communities of serious bettors sharing information with each other. Denmark probably has the highest amount of betting sharps per capita – only rivaled by Sweden, Norway and some Asian countries.
Winnings are tax-free if they are won from a betting site that has a license in any EU country.
Bet365, Betfair, and several soft books have obtained Danish licenses. However, you can also bet with sites that don’t have a Danish license. Brokers such as Sportmarket and Asianodds are accepting Danish bettors. There are also many betting shops in Copenhagen and around other parts of the country if you wish to place bets in person.
Internet connections are ultra-fast in Denmark, and the standard of living is great. The problem is that the cost of living is also very high, and the weather is dodgy.
6. Mexico
Most sharp books and exchanges accept Mexican players. On top of that, winnings are taxed free.
Mexico has an awesome culture and a huge love for sports. The cost of living is lower than in many other places, but the standard of living is still high in many cities, so sports betting nomads will generally like it. Many US poker players and sports bettors have moved to Mexico to properly be able to do their craft.
7. Monaco
If you make it to the top, Monaco could be your destination. Some highly successful poker players and gamblers have ended up moving there.
Of course, Monaco is insanely expensive. But that luxury lifestyle is part of the charm. And the location by the Mediterranean Sea is great – on top of that, you can easily go to France or Italy any time you like.
Pinnacle and the other serious betting sites are accepting players from Monaco. The historic casino could be an attraction as well. You don’t pay taxes as a resident of Monaco.
Other great countries for sports betting
Any country with tax-free winnings and a wide selection of betting sites should be a good one.
Andorra, Cyprus, Croatia and Switzerland are other solid destinations for serious sports bettors.
Worst countries for bettors
The United States would arguably be one of the worst places, due to the severe restrictions on online bookmakers. US players don’t have access to the best brokers (Sportmarket, Asianodds, BetInAsia), top bookmakers (Pinnacle, SBO), nor exchanges (Betfair, Matchbook). That makes it very difficult to be a pro bettor, and on top of that, if you do find a solid place to bet, your winnings will be taxed.
Australia is another bad market due to many restrictions and ridiculous rules – for instance, you have to call if you want to place a live bet, which is obviously much harder than just clicking the site like you would in any other country.
Spain, Portugal, France and Italy are not the best either. While gambling is highly popular in these countries, the industry is very regulated, and there is only a handful of bookmakers to choose from. There aren’t any big exchanges, aside from Betfair, but Betfair’s odds are not connected to the worldwide market, but to local markets. Many brokers, like Sportmarket, don’t allow players from these countries either. So while you can bet – you won’t have access to the top sites. On the positive side, there are betting shops you can visit, so if you are into that, these countries might be fine after all.
Several Asian countries like China, Phillippines, and Vietnam, also have some tough restrictions on gambling. Locals usually find ways around it since they are absolutely crazy about betting (and usually very good at it), but as a foreigner coming in, it might be tough.
Predictions for the future
It seems like any country will work in the very near future. With the advent and rising popularity of cryptocurrencies, many anonymous cryptocurrency sportsbooks are appearing, and they generally let you bet regardless of where you live.
Cloudbet, Sportsbet and Nitrobetting are some of the best examples.
With these bookmakers, you can find great odds, and you will have access from most places around the world.
It is only a matter of time before there will be a major cryptocurrency betting exchange powered by DeFi. When that happens, we will truly have a free world when it comes to betting (and finance in general), and that day could come sooner rather than later!
So perhaps you don’t need to think about the gambling rules when picking your next country – with cryptocurrencies and the decentralized systems crypto brings, it won’t matter where you live, and so you can live in whatever place you like the most since everything can potentially be done with cryptocurrencies – including betting.