Top EU Betting Sites

The European Union could be considered one entity with respect to a lot of economic affairs. That is thanks to the EU passing economic laws that applies to all its 28 member states (which will become 27 later”Brexit”). But when it comes to sports betting, the EU members remain separate, with each responsible for creating its own legal framework.
Consequently, the legality of sport gambling, including at online websites, varies from country to country. Below are the best EU betting websites.
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1
Betway
Betway makes it effortless to get started and then keeps you there with its massive choice and numerous methods to bet.
http://www.betway.com
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2
888sport
888sport is a fun website that makes it simple for the beginner to get started. Additionally, it supplies enough extras to keep experienced bettors interested, although some pro-bettors may be turned off.
http://www.888sport.com
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3
bet365
Bet365 serves countless bettors around the globe – the sheer variety of international leagues that they pay is unparalleled, among other perks.
http://www.bet365.com
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4
William Hill
A big name that’s been in business since 1934 does not need flashy promos provided that the service is dialed-in – William Hill is that title.
http://www.williamhill.com
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5
Paddy Power
One of the most popular and prestigious gambling sites in the UK & Ireland, this household name provides some of the largest odds collections in the business. With over 100 lines per match and a premium live-streaming service, it is not surprising that Paddy Power dominates the UK sportsbook market.
https://www.paddypower.com
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6
Intertops
Launched in 1983 and online since 1996, Intertops is one of the older guard when it comes to sports betting. Decent chances and enticing bonuses imply their strong prestige on the sector is much more than deserved.
https://www.intertops.eu
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7
BetOnline
Their massive maximum bonus dimension is a true head-turner for larger bettors however BetOnline offers something for everyone.
https://www.betonline.ag
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8
BetVictor
BetVictor has several decades of sportsbook expertise and give a solid all around product whilst still offering enticing promos and value-priced odds.
http://www.betvictor.com
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9
BetDSI
BetDSI is like a luxury hotel you can stay at to get a price. Their sportsbook has offerings normally only found in the bigger sites, plus they offer these at an excellent price compared to others.

BetDSI Sportsbook | Sports Betting & Online Casino


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10
SBG Global
Do not be tricked by SBG’s easy look and little stature; an easily obtainable bonus arrangement and a wide selection for lines, teasers, and parlays make it a good solution for casual players.

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Below, we set out the legal status of internet gaming in the four biggest European gambling regions: France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
As you will see, each nation takes a legalize-and-regulate approach to online sports gambling. But some are far more liberal and flexible with their licensing plan compared to others, which seriously affects the amount 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 HAVE 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 barely Yes No Yes, but it is withheld from the operator
Spain Yes Yes No Yes, if over $2,500
Sweden Yes Yes Maybe No, as long as the sportsbook is licensed in EU
France
Online sports gambling is legal but heavily regulated in France. To legally offer sports wagers to French residents, a betting sitemust be accredited by the ARJEL (Autorit?? de r??gulation des jeux en ligne, which translates into”Regulatory Authority for Online Games”).
Considering that the French government places heavy tax burdens on operators, several online sites register in other authorities and yet still try to offer their services to people in France.
Under the current legislative framework, this can be deemed illegal. Even if an online sportsbook has a license in a foreign jurisdiction, state Gibraltar, it cannot legally provide sports-betting solutions to the French public with no permit from the ARJEL.
This is true in many areas of the planet. On the other hand, the French governments are more proactive in policing it than many, going so far as to block access to certain sites from inside France.
[Though] the mere act of placing a wager for an unlicensed sportsbook might not be illegal under French legislation… with an unlicensed sportsbook nevertheless comes with a number of dangers.
It should be noted that, such as in the usa, the mere act of placing a bet for an unlicensed sportsbook may not be prohibited under French law. The legislation tend to target online gambling providers rather than the individual bettors.
However, using an unlicensed sportsbook nevertheless includes numerous risks. You cannot be certain that unlicensed sites will remain accessible from inside France. The government may take action to block access and efficiently shut-down their presence in the country at any moment, since it is operating illegally.
As a result, the safest route for sport bettors in France would be to use a certified sportsbook.
Figuring out which websites are licensed and which are not is straightforward. The ARJEL keeps an updated listing of all the licensees on its site: http://www.arjel.fr/-Liste-des-operateurs-agrees-.html.
The ARJEL keeps an updated list of all of the licensees on its own site.
The site is in French, of course, but if you’re using an internet browser like Chrome, you can easily translate the page to English. (Even though the grammar won’t be perfect, you’ll have the ability to decode the vital elements.)
If (when?) Your sports-betting efforts prove fruitful in France, be aware that everything over $1,500 must be declared as income and, as such, is taxable. According to rgweek.com, online betting is taxed at around 9%.
Germany
The legal status of online sports betting in Germany is in a state of flux and has been for some time. The German government has long sought to greatly regulate the marketplace and, in 2012, passed an amended Interstate Treaty on Gambling, which banned online betting (and online gaming in all its forms) except for those provided by the government or licensed by the regulatory authorities. (This law was really a relaxation of an earlier legislation, which didn’t even allow for licenses and effectively made a state monopoly.)
The law came under siege almost as quickly as it came in to effect. Importantly, the EU’s Court of Justice has ruled that the law impermissibly limits online gaming sites based/licensed from different countries from providing their solutions to Germans.
[T]he EU’s Court of Justice has ruled that [Germany’s online betting law] impermissibly restricts online sites based/licensed from different countries from providing their solutions to Germans.
The German government responded by amending the legislation, but only slightly, and said amendment hasn’t come in to force. The amended law could only raise the number of licenses the government could grant; it wouldn’t offer foreign sportsbooks carte blanche to operate in Germany. It remains to be seen whether such a law — if it comes into force — could be deemed an acceptable restriction by the courts.
What Germany is currently left with is basically a garbage heap of legislation pertaining to internet sports betting. The laws on the books require sportsbooks to have a license to work legally, but the laws themselves (and the licensing procedure they create) are deemed impermissible by the EU courts.
In practice, a number of foreign-based sports-betting sites continue to function in Germany (meaning that they continue to accept German bettors and are still available from inside Germany’s boundaries ). Unlike in France, in which the authorities have obtained a hands on method of restricting access to unlicensed online operators, the German authorities does not appear to be actively attempting to prevent these foreign sportsbooks from working in Germany, probably due to the state of the existing legislation.
As the International Comparative Legal Guides’ 2017 paper on Germany states,”[T]he licensing procedure for… sports gambling licenses… has been held incompatible with EU law… Criminal proceedings have… rarely been pioneered. … German authorities authorities… have been reluctant to enforce gambling law violations, 1 explanation for this likely being that German gaming law has been characterised by legal doubt due to it facing severe criticism in light of EU law for years now.
In connection with sports betting… any enforcement actions brought against sports betting operators at 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 instances when [German] governments do prosecute breaches of gambling laws, it’s the operator that is held accountable, not the bettor.
The paper also notes , in the rare cases once the authorities do prosecute breaches of gambling laws, it is the operator that’s held accountable, not the bettor.
The end result is that Germans can feel very safe — by the country government, at least — when it comes to utilizing online betting sites, whether those are licensed in Germany or elsewhere.
Choosing the Very Best and most-secure sportsbook in Germany doesn’t come down to if it is accredited, but will rather be determined by a Large Number of additional variables, such as:
A record of timely payments
A reputation for anonymity and safety Accessible and easy-to-use help sections A huge variety of deposit and withdrawal procedures Strong client support representation
A broad selection of sports markets to wager on.
Regarding taxation, just winnings from the state-run sites are taxed. On account of this cluttered and muddled legal program which now exists, there does not seem to be any procedure in place for taxing winnings from private online sportsbooks.
Ireland
Like most European nations, Ireland regulates online sports betting through a licensing system. The Betting Act 2015 is the relevant law at the moment, and provides that anybody looking to provide bookmaking or betting services to people in Ireland has to be granted a permit by the Revenue Commissioners, which double as the Irish taxation service.
As with almost any regulatory system, this has benefits and drawbacks for the general people. The fact that sportsbooks need to cover tax and go through the bureaucratic hoops of obtaining a permit contributes to things like higher juice on the other end.
On the other hand, the licensing system also ensures that only legitimate sportsbooks offer their solutions to Irish residents.
How?
Under the current legal framework, the officers of the corporation applying for a permit must, inter alia, acquire certificates of personal fitness.
Furthermore, licenses are only granted for two years at one time and, according to the ICLG, among those factors that the Revenue Commissioners consider during renewal applications is if the sportsbook has paid its debts. That’s important, as bettors cannot sue sportsbooks for unpaid debts in Ireland, or vice versa. (Gambling debts are usually unenforceable.) The licensing system provides an impetus for sportsbooks to function on the up-and-up.
As with most states, the penalties for juvenile sports gambling fall almost exclusively about the operators. But Irish punters are well-advised to stick to licensed books, nonetheless. Whether an online betting site is offering its solutions to Irish bettors without a license, there will be a regarding reason for it. Either it doesn’t wish to cover the $10,000 license fee, it doesn’t wish to cover the applicable tax, its application has been dropped, etc.. Whatever the reason, it leads to serious questions regarding the sportsbook’s legitimacy and/or fiscal wellbeing.
If it comes to taxation on gaming winnings, the average Irish can break easy. Only professional gamblers have to pay tax on their gambling profits.
Who qualifies as a “pro”? That’s for the Revenue Commissioners and the courts to determine. Generally, it is dependent upon how far a person bets, their degree of expertise, and whether they have another job.
Italy
Once on a time, Italy was just like Germany, because it prohibited all sports gambling besides state-run websites. The same as Germany, this paradigm was deemed impermissible by the EU and also Italy’s sports-betting legislation have since shifted (way back in 2006).
Currently, to operate legally in Italy, gambling websites must obtain a license in the AAMS, the regulatory authority from the country. The ones that do not 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 is a lot less restrictive compared to procedure the German’s tried to implement. To get a license, a site must simply have a specific speed of earnings ($1.5M within the previous two decades ), possess its servers situated in an EU member state, fulfill specific fee and taxation duties, and be”stable” and”reliable.”
If it comes to contraventions of the legal regime, the laws tend to target betting sites instead of bettors, and Italians who bet at unlicensed operators should not fear prosecution by state authorities.
However, the penalties and consequences which could be levied in an unlicensed sportsbook would be sensed by this sportsbook’s users, as well.
In accordance with ICLG.com,”[w]here an operator features gaming without a license, he can face criminal… and civil charges. The website will be banned and added to a blacklist.”
Thus, any bettors who opt to utilize an unlicensed sportsbook at Italy danger losing access to that sportsbook from within the country.
[A]ny bettors that opt to use an unlicensed sportsbook in Italy danger losing access to this sportsbook from inside the nation. … [T]he safe play for Italian bettors is to utilize a sportsbook that’s licensed in Italy.
Consequently, the secure play for Italian bettors would be to use a sportsbook that’s licensed in Italy. Luckily, due to the fairly liberal licensing system (which allows up to 200 licenses), there are a multitude of choices that provide competitive odds on the most popular Italian markets, such as football, 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 nation.
Netherlands
Counterintuitively, the usually liberal lawmakers from the Netherlands have a very conservative approach to online sports gambling. At the moment, online sports betting is illegal in the Netherlands except at the sites run from the government-controlled De Lotto business.
Despite the rigorous regulatory regime, many overseas sportsbooks provide their solutions to Dutch bettors. However, the regulatory authority in the Netherlands (the Kansspelautoriteit ) requires a hands-on approach to punishing offenders and contains levied heavy fines on a number of these sites. Because of this, many internet sportsbooks have done away with their Dutch-language choices (etc.) and there are comparatively few online gaming websites that cater to Dutch customers.
While prosecution of people who bet at these sites is not a large concern, the capacity for Dutch bettors to lose easy access for their own bankroll is a huge concern in regards to using unlicensed offshore sportsbooks. You definitely do not wish to signup with a website and have it block Dutch IP addresses the next week.
The new legal regime [set to come into effect in January 2019] will allow foreign-based sportsbooks to get licenses and, consequently, provide their services to Dutch bettors.
The good news is that the problem in the Netherlands is scheduled to change quite shortly. A new online gaming 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, offer their services to Dutch bettors.
This will improve the gambling market in the Netherlands by increasing competition for clients. Up to this point, the government-run entities were unchallenged and had small reason to improve their product or their odds.
Concerning taxation, Dutch bettors need to pay tax at a speed or 29 percent of their winnings (over and over $449). But according to Alan Littler of Kalff Katz & Franssen Attorneys in Law,”While participants are liable for the tax due on a prize, suppliers have to withhold the relevant amount when paying the prize”
Spain
Since 2011 when the Spanish Gambling Act was passed, Spain has obtained a nationally legalize-and-regulate approach to online gambling, akin to the major European allies covered above. To legally offer online betting services to Spanish residents, gaming websites must acquire a license from the relevant regulatory body (the Direccion General de Ordenacion del Juego, or”DGOJ”).
This was bad news for online operators as Spain was formerly similar to the Wild West. Despite law in the provincial level, it was a lawless land where anything moved and online sportsbooks operated with impunity, regardless of location, stability, etc..
Even though the imposition of a licensing program has decreased the number of (legal) options available to Spanish bettors, that is not necessarily a terrible thing. The program requires websites to meet certain criteria and pay certain prices, which can help ensure that only legitimate sports-betting sites are permitted to function.
As in Italy and France, it is best for Spanish bettors to use a certified website, even though the mere act of placing a bet at an unlicensed site doesn’t seem to be prohibited.
Why?
Consider the following from the ICLG:
[I]llegal offline gambling has ever been duly prosecuted in Spain. But [until 2011] Spanish authorities were very permissive with regards to illegal online gambling operations” Now, however, those who breach pertinent gambling laws risk”large fines [and] the possibility of qualified authorities suspending or revoking permits in case[s] of significant or sustained absence of compliance.
That means online betting sites operating without a permit are liable to have their Spanish surgeries shutdown at any stage, which could, in turn, impact users’ ability to get their own funds.
Considering that the diligence with which the authorities have attacked prohibited offline gambling, that is not a danger smart bettors would operate.
How can you tell if you’re employing an illegal website? One requirement of getting a permit is obtaining a”.es” domain , such as”Bet365.es” or”WilliamHill.es.” If the URL of the website you are using does not end in”. Es” it’s likely operating illegally.
On the other hand, the converse isn’t necessarily true: having a”. Es” domain does not necessarily indicate that a website is licensed in Spain. So Spanish bettors must take steps to confirm that their site of choice has the essential permit from the DGOJ to operate in Spain. (To interpret that page to English using Google Chrome, follow these directions.)
Last, note that, when bettors Spain acquire anything over $2,500, it must be declared as income and is taxed accordingly.
Sweden
The Swedish government exercises strict control over the internet sports-betting industry. In theory, any corporation can obtain a license to provide online betting products to people in Sweden. But, in practice, just one entity was granted a permit, and that is the government-run Svenska Spel.
As in most jurisdictions with thick bureaucratic barriers-to-entry, many offshore sportsbooks offer their services to individuals in Sweden with no permit. Unlike in places such as Ireland (where licenses are easily accessible ), the fact that a site is available to Swedes without a Swedish license does not imply anything nefarious (past the fact that it is willing to function in a legal grey area). Operating without a license is the only choice they have.
That does not mean Swedish bettors should signup with the first site they find. There are both quality sportsbooks and extremely dishonest ones available to Swedes, and doing background research is essential to picking a safe, secure, dependable website that caters to your particular preferences.
In certain ways, the situation in Sweden is akin to that in the Netherlands. However, the regulatory system requires a more hands-on strategy to penalizing juvenile 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 Businesses that aid unlicensed sportsbooks compared to sportsbooks themselves:
Since the government don’t have jurisdiction over the offshore gambling operators, they have rather focused on people in Sweden who take advertisements for such companies.
The outcome 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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