Foreign bookmakers who accept players from all countries are called “offshore bookmakers”, “international bookmakers” or “bookmakers without a local licence”. It is not illegal to bet with a bookmaker that does not have a licence here, but the regulatory authority regularly orders them not to accept players resident here. As a result, few international bookmakers will allow us to open an account with them.
Foreing-bookmakers.com does not promote foreign bookmakers to local punters. This means that we are not contacted by gambling operators for advertising purposes, for example. We are a comparison service that manages traffic without the use of paid media. We can, however, link sites that are not aimed at the local public.
Summary
show
Why do punters turn to foreign bookmakers?
Recent surveys have shown that more and more players are turning to international bookmakers that do not have a local licence.
The trend was exacerbated when the National Gambling Authority imposed even tighter restrictions on deposits and playing time and reduced the bonus values that could be offered. Despite what many people hear, believe and read online, namely that it would be illegal to play on gaming sites with a licence other than the local licence, this is not true.
It is perfectly legal to play on sites that offer betting from an offshore location and, of course, to bet. We are going to review the gambling and sports betting sites here to clarify the concepts.
You’ll also find out about the payment methods you can find on sites licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority or Curaçao eGaming, for example, to name but a few.
Finally, we’ll give you some advice on what to look out for when you visit online sites offering sports betting, slots or other casino games.
What are foreign sports betting sites?
When it says that you can bet from a global bookmaker, whether it’s a sports betting site or an online casino games site, it means that you can bet on sites without local approval.
All recognised bookmakers that offer legal gambling have a licence issued by a jurisdiction in the EU/EEA or a country outside these areas. If you do not see the logo of a country such as Malta, Estonia, the UK, Curacao or similar, you should be wary.
When we talk about a foreign bookmaker, this means a gambling site that does not have a gambling licence here. But the site has another international licence, often much more recognised and serious than ours. Before gambling regulation was introduced, the world was doing very well (even better) with Curaçao and other licences. A foreign bookmaker is therefore regulated and also offers a much wider choice of bets and better odds, because the law in our country is more concerned with taxing operators than with protecting players ‘more’.
Of course, like everywhere else, there are some bad apples. To avoid making mistakes, you need to follow the forums and other specialist sites. Here, our partner offers you a selection of foreign bookmakers to suit your needs, with the common feature that they all accept all players without restriction.
For those looking for sports betting sites with no betting ban, the best choice is (usually) a foreign bookmaker. Since locally licensed gambling companies are not linked to the rest of the international bookmakers, the ban file is not shared.
What are the different foreign gambling sites?
It can sometimes be a little difficult to know what all these terms and phrases mean. When it comes to online gambling, a variety of names and terms are used to describe it. Here is a brief explanation:
- Sports betting site: This is a player dedicated to betting on sporting events. It sets the odds, the betting options and the competitions, and players bet according to what is available..
- The Bookmaker: This is a site specialising in sports betting, but also horse betting, eSports, the weather, public events, etc. on all the events you can bet on. The bookmaker is almost synonymous with the sports betting site, but it is more comprehensive. Since the creation of national licences in Europe, a distinction has been made between the two, as there are no longer any bookmakers offering a complete range of services.
- Online casino: This is a site that offers a whole host of virtual casino games, as well as live broadcasts of real casino games. These operators also offer games of skill, scratch cards and TV games. The sites work with games publishers such as Netent, Betsoft or Big Fish and must be licensed to operate.
- Gambling site: Very often, an online casino operator also offers sports betting and vice versa. The term “gambling site” or “betting site” is therefore very generic to encompass all the offers available from foreign operators. In our country, all offers are compartmentalised and restricted because the authorities want to keep an eye on everything.
In all cases, a gaming operator must have a gaming licence. Without this, payment operators and game publishers will not work with them. This is an international rule, simply because it demonstrates the seriousness of the company operating the gambling site. Foreign gambling operators must have a licence for each type of game offered, but these approvals are less restrictive for players.
Local regulations stipulate that the bookmaker must not distribute more than 85% of bets to players, supposedly to protect them from addiction. However, with the taxes and administrative obligations that licensed companies have to meet, they cannot distribute much more than this. A foreign bookmaker generally redistributes between 95% and 98% of bets to punters.
Foreign Bookmakers
Even the sports betting sites that have a licence almost all offer something on the international market, but you won’t be able to register with them because you will always be redirected to the url of the site in our country.
However, the international versions of the operators offer better odds, a wider range of sports and events to bet on and are true bookmakers in their own right. They offer niche sports and many more tournaments among the usual sports offerings such as football. There are also many more betting options such as the Asian Handicap which allows you to hedge your bets. For sports fans, online betting can offer a completely different experience.
What’s more, you can generally watch live sports that are not transmitted here. This makes it possible to bet on even more matches and sports; in particular, it is possible to bet on eSport with a foreign bookmaker.
Foreign casinos without a local licence are gaining in popularity because our administration has not created a licence for this type of gambling or it is extremely restrictive. Unfortunately, in online poker, as in sports betting, the players are among themselves, which limits the possibilities for games and tournaments.
With a foreign bookmaker, you also have the right to self-exclude or limit your play. However, you will have to do this on each site, as there is no link between them.
The Best Foreign Bookmakers
There are a huge number of bookmakers worldwide, but very few accept us for fear of being sued by the authorities. However, it is perfectly legal for players to register and place bets.
Here is a selection of international bookmakers that accept everyone:
Why not access foreign bookmakers with a VPN?
It sounds like a good idea and is even recommended by some websites. But it’s actually a very bad idea.
In fact, by registering and pretending that you live in Mozambique, for example, the bookmaker will actually allow you to register and deposit your money on their site. You can even place bets and take advantage of offers as if everything were fine. Except that when it comes to withdrawing your money, you will have to prove that you live in Mozambique. This is going to be tricky to prove. The site will also ask you for a bank account in that country and will look at your connection history. And of course, nothing will stick and you won’t be able to get your money back.
The forums are full of players crying that they can’t withdraw their winnings and that foreign bookmakers are scams. It’s simply that they have signed up, with a VPN, with foreign bookmakers who shouldn’t accept us.
The operators proposed via the links accept all players without lying about their place of residence. If this is not the case, run away.
Do foreign bookmakers have any distinct advantages over sites licensed to play in our country?
Gamblers are increasingly choosing foreign gaming sites, and that’s only to be expected, since they have every right to do so and the advantages of these sites are becoming better known.
Whether you have a local driving licence or not, you will still be able to drive. A foreign sports betting site must also have a gaming licence, but not a local one because it is very restrictive.
Foreign operators do not have to pay local taxes, for example, or the gambling surcharge if they have a Maltese or Curaçao licence. Nor do they have to send all their players’ details to the authorities via a secure server. They can also distribute more than 85% of bets to punters and better bonuses. Nor is it limited in the range of sports and fixtures it can offer.
Why not opt for locally licensed sites?
Because of all the restrictions listed above, many players choose to predict their matches at foreign bookmakers with international licenses.
Local bookmakers are sufficient for occasional punters, those who want to bet on 1N2 at major sporting events. They place their bets with the operators they see advertised on TV, without question, and everything goes well for them… until they are winning players (and they get restricted) or they realize that they are losing more than they are winning, even if their overall predictions are good.
So if we were to advise bookmakers to Sunday punters, local operators might go. These sites are fairly safe, with support in our language.
Can punters play on foreign sports betting sites?
It’s perfectly legal, but many foreign bookmakers don’t accept us. Foreign operators are not obliged to block us, but they are not allowed to advertise in our country.
For these reasons, players may have difficulty finding safe and well-functioning foreign bookmakers. If you are considering offshore betting, you can access lists via foreing-bookmakers.com.
How to bet on foreign websites?
Today, online betting is a simple and transparent process. There are two ways to play: either sitting quietly in front of your computer, or holding your smartphone in your hand. When it comes to betting on sports on a mobile device, the convenience is superb.
If you play on a foreign sports betting site, you won’t be subject to restrictions such as bonus limits or available sports. International bookmakers have both advantages and disadvantages from the surfer’s point of view.
Registration is the same as with any other bookmaker, but quicker and simpler. There are often more deposit options. Sometimes, mobile applications are not available on the stores, so you’ll have to download them directly from the sites.
For the rest, you’ll be able to bet with better odds on more sports and with more options. The only real difficulty is finding a foreign operator that accepts all players.
Minimum deposit on foreign sites
It’s a question that’s discussed and asked online, but a betting site always requires a certain deposit. If you haven’t deposited any money, you can’t play either. On the other hand, foreign bookmakers don’t have deposit or stake limits like we do.
Sometimes, it’s not the site itself that sets the minimum deposit limit. Most of the payment methods available have a fixed minimum limit for what you have to deposit in order to use the payment method.
What’s becoming increasingly common is that the minimum deposit to be able to play is getting lower and lower, as little as €5/€10. This is clearly a way of attracting new players who simply want to try out the sites. Note, however, that if you wish to take advantage of a bonus, its terms and conditions will determine the amount of the deposit.
Tips for Finding the World’s Best Bookmakers
Whether you’re searching forums via Facebook or elsewhere, or reading reviews, it can be hard to know which is the best foreign bookmaker. That’s why we thought we’d put together a list of factors you should consider before choosing your new gambling site.
- Does the site offer games you like – Sports Betting, eSports, Political Events, Casino?
- Is there a wide range of games or sports betting?
- Is your preferred payment method available, such as cryptocurrencies?
- Are odds a criterion for you?
- Can you take advantage of good bonuses, and are the wagering requirements reasonable?
- Does customer service speak our language?
- Can you set play limits?
- Is the mobile version complete and easy to navigate?
To help you, here’s where you can find a pre-selection based on certain criteria:
These are just some of the factors you can look at, but they can be of great importance once you have signed up to the site. For example, if the customer service is hard to get hold of, this can cause problems if you want to play live odds and don’t get any help.
Or if the site is difficult to navigate and you can’t find the game you want to play.
When it comes to online gambling, they need to offer a good gambling experience that you feel comfortable with, whether it’s transactions or sharing your personal information – and regardless of the licence of the site itself.
Bonuses at an International Bookmaker
Bonuses are one of the main reasons why foreign bookmakers and casinos are popular. Since our online betting sites are restricted, bookmakers with a curaçao licence, for example, are more attractive.
They have no restrictions on the amount of money they can offer, nor on the number of bonuses you can receive, and they can also offer so-called VIP bonuses. It is also not unusual for promotions and competitions to appear regularly at these operators without a local licence.
Frequently offered bonuses
As well as no deposit bonuses, welcome bonuses and free bets, there are many other bonuses on offer. In particular, you can find the following on foreign gambling sites:
- Reload Bonus – when you make a new deposit after your first deposit and receive a bonus.
- Matching bonus – the site matches your deposit with a certain percentage.
- Cashbacks – you get back a certain percentage of the money you wagered.
- Loyalty bonuses – bonuses are offered for being a loyal customer.
- Mega spins and Super spins – higher value free spins (for casinos)
- Free bet – free bet on certain matches
- No-risk bets – you get your money back if your predictions are wrong
- No-wager bonuses – bonuses with no wagering requirements.
It’s not just about which bonuses and how much they are worth. The advantage of being able to play at foreign bookmakers is that there is no limit to the number of welcome bonuses, promotions, free bets, etc. that you can take advantage of. It doesn’t matter whether the gambling sites have the même licence.
General terms and conditions
Before accepting a bonus, make sure you check the conditions. Even if the offer seems attractive, it can be costly if the wagering requirements are high and you have little time to fulfil them.
If you don’t meet the requirements, you won’t be able to withdraw your bonus winnings. This can mean that several thousand Euros that you wagered to meet the wagering requirements are lost.
Free spins or free bets can also be linked to a specific game and if it’s a game you have no interest in playing or betting on, the bonus doesn’t make much sense. You should never turn down a bonus just because it’s important and sounds attractive. It should give you something that enhances your gaming experience.
Payment methods abroad
Bank transfer and credit card are by far the most common payment methods offered by local sports betting sites. These payment methods are also offered by foreign sites, but many others are too.
What is slightly different, however, is that in foreign countries, bookmakers without local authorisation still use card payment as their standard method of payment. A phenomenon that has diminished considerably here at home. You’ll also find a variety of other payment methods that aren’t always available for games within the country’s borders, including the ability to pay with an e-wallet.
We have selected some of the most common methods that you can find abroad and given some examples of gambling sites that offer them.
- More electronic wallets (Jeton, CASHlib, Perfect Money, Sticpay, Skrill, etc.)
- Payment systems (ecoPayz, Neteller, AstroPay, PaySafe Card, etc.)
- Crypto-currencies (mainly Bitcoin, tether & ethereum)
If you’re interested in the latter, here’s a selection:
Security on mondial sports betting sites
When it comes to gaming security and responsible gambling on gaming sites that are not locally licensed, there are safety nets that work. Among other things, the Maltese Gambling Authority requires that it be possible to set gambling restrictions, that it be possible to pause gambling and that there be help pages for people who are at risk of falling into gambling addiction. Or who may already be there.
All foreign bookmakers and casinos are audited by their gaming licence. The criteria are much stricter than those imposed by our administration, at least with regard to the bets and games offered to players. The odds must be fair and the matches sorted are also closely monitored, which regularly leads to the cancellation of bets on matches in lower leagues.
On the other hand, foreign bookmakers are given more freedom in terms of promotional offers and the TRJ (Rate of Return to Players), which is not limited. Similarly, international licences do not restrict the sports or events on which bets can be placed, as long as they are public, fair and regulated.