Countries With Legal Sports Betting In 2026

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Argentina regulates gambling province by province, and online sports betting has spread well beyond the capital. The City of Buenos Aires licensed its first online operators in December 2021, the Province of Buenos Aires followed in 2022, and Córdoba, Mendoza, Santa Fe, and more than a dozen other provinces now license online betting through their own lottery authorities. Horse racing remains legal nationwide. The practical result is a patchwork: a licensed site in one province cannot take bets from a resident of another, and a few provinces still have no online option. The minimum age is 18.

If you are looking for a country with one of the most developed sports betting markets, then you should check out Australia. Horse races were legalized in Australia back in 1810 and the full sports betting market eventually came in the picture in 1980. Australia has sports betting parlors all over the country. Legal sports betting sites in Australia are allowed as well. The only restriction they have is a ban on how many sportsbook ads are aired. Other than that, sports betting has no real restrictions on the land down under.

Australia does not just have a presence within their own country. As the United States has fresh new sports betting market, sportsbook providers from Australia have begun to set up shop in the US. Australian companies are helping to provide sportsbook operations to various casinos in the US. This allows casinos to have legal Australian sportsbooks providing years of experience even though sports betting is new in the US.

Brazil went from an unregulated market to one of the largest licensed ones in the world in a single step. Law 14.790, signed in December 2023, created a federal licensing system, and the regulated market opened on January 1, 2025 with roughly 70 authorized operators. Licensed sites carry a bet.br domain, pay 12% of gross revenue in tax, and withhold 15% on player winnings above the exempt threshold. Unlicensed sites are blocked by the Ministry of Finance, and payment processors may not serve them. Betting is limited to adults 18 and older, and credit cards are prohibited for deposits.

Single-event sports betting became legal across Canada in August 2021, and every province now offers it through its lottery corporation: PlayNow in British Columbia, Play Alberta, PROLINE+ from OLG in Ontario, Mise-o-jeu in Quebec, and the Atlantic Lottery in the east. Ontario went further in April 2022 by opening a licensed private market run by iGaming Ontario, where FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, bet365, and dozens of others hold provincial licenses. Alberta passed its own iGaming law in 2025 and is opening a similar licensed market in 2026. Outside Ontario and Alberta, a private sportsbook operating in a province is unlicensed there. The minimum age is 19 in most provinces and 18 in Alberta, Quebec, and Manitoba.

China is basically the country that invented gambling. The Chinese people have been gaming since ancient times and they have developed many different games. Although now, the Chinese government does look down on gambling and has restricted most forms of it. But sports betting is up and active in Hong Kong and Macau. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is the only legal bookmaker in Hong Kong. Macau does allow sports betting, but they are lacking proper facilities.

Legal sports betting sites in China are usually done by a sports lottery. That is when sports bettors place pooled bets on either European soccer or American basketball. The reason this is allowed is that the Chinese government does not consider lotteries as a form of gambling. Not everyone in China is satisfied with only this. Most Chinese sports bettors take their money and go to online sportsbooks. Although the Chinese government has blocked many sites, the sports bettors know how to get around the online blockade and are good at finding alternatives.

If you are living in Colombia or are planning a trip to the South American country, you should know that sports betting is regulated and legal. Retail sports betting has been going on since 2001, but it was not until 2016 that legal sports betting sites in Columbia were offered. But the sports betting operator, Coljuegos, has put a blacklist on 325 sportsbook operators in Colombia. The blacklist includes companies such as William Hill, Betfair, and Ladbrokes.

The regulations on legal sports betting sites in Columbia have softened since 2017, so more international sportsbook operators can join in. Once Coljuegos stepped in to regulate Colombian sports betting, betting on sports became much safer. Soccer is definitely the number one sport to bet on while you are in Colombia, but that is not all they have to offer. You can bet on a number of international sports such as baseball, American football, and other major sporting events.

Legal sports betting sites in Costa Rica sports betting are both offered and very popular. However, there are a few catches that you need to be aware of. Costa Rica might have legal sports betting, but the government does not allow for land-based sports betting. Most of the sports betting in Costa Rica is done online on a server. So, although you cannot bet on sports at a retail location, online sports betting is legal in Costa Rica.

Many famous online sportsbooks set up shop in Costa Rica due to the progressive views the country has on sports betting. Legal Costa Rica sportsbooks take action mostly on American football, soccer, and baseball. Since famous sportsbooks are based here, you can bet on a large number of sporting events around the world.

In case you did not know, sports betting in Ghana is legal. In fact, sports betting has been established in Ghana for a long time. Ever since 1960, the residents of Ghana have been betting on a variety of sports. People living or visiting Ghana are free to bet on nearly all sporting events. This can be done in two different ways. You can either go to a sports betting parlor or you can use legal online sportsbooks that take Ghana residents.

Sports betting has been very good for Ghana. There are a couple of different soccer clubs that are based in the country. Some of the clubs used to be strapped for cash but some of the sportsbooks have sponsored these clubs. Major sporting events in Ghana also receive advertisements and funds in connection with sports betting. Although low-income populations in Ghana suffer from addiction problems, legal sports betting has been overall good for the country.

India’s position changed completely in 2025. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, passed in August 2025, bans online money gaming nationwide, including sports betting and paid fantasy sports, and the largest domestic fantasy platforms shut down their cash contests within days. Land-based gambling is still governed by each state, and horse racing at licensed racecourses remains legal. Sikkim and Goa permit casinos, and Sikkim had licensed limited online betting before the federal act superseded it. An offshore sportsbook accepting Indian customers is now operating against federal law, and payment channels to those sites are being cut off.

Kenya has one of the most active betting markets in Africa. The Betting Control and Licensing Board licenses dozens of online bookmakers, including SportPesa and Betika, and mobile money makes betting from a phone routine. The Gambling Control Act, signed in July 2025, replaces the 1966 law and creates a new Gambling Regulatory Authority with tighter advertising rules and licensing standards. Bettors pay an excise tax on stakes and a withholding tax on winnings, and the minimum age is 18. Unlicensed offshore sites are not authorized under the new act.

When it comes to legal Mexico sports betting, almost everything is allowed. Sports betting was firmly established in Mexico back in 2004. Mexico is one of most restriction-free countries with legal sports betting. Thanks to that, Mexico has one of the fastest-growing sports betting markets in all of Latin America. You can easily go to any brick and motor sportsbook within Mexico and place a bet on your favorite teams from around the world. This includes any soccer teams that you want to bet on, or you can bet on American sports like football or college games as well.

There have also been many legal online sportsbooks in Mexico that have been established. People visiting the country do not even have to go to a retail sportsbook. The only real restriction that legal sports betting sites in Mexico have is that no one under the age of 18 can bet on sports. The online offshore sportsbooks we often recommend to you are extremely popular in Mexico as well.

The Netherlands opened its licensed online market on October 1, 2021 under the Remote Gambling Act, regulated by the Kansspelautoriteit. More than 25 operators now hold licenses, and the market has grown stricter since launch: untargeted gambling advertising was banned in 2023, mandatory deposit limits took effect in 2024 (700 euros a month, and 300 euros for players under 24), and the gambling tax rose to 34.2% in 2025 and 37.8% in 2026. Unlicensed sites are blocked and their operators fined. The minimum age is 18, and a national self-exclusion register called Cruks covers every licensed operator.

New Zealand closed its market to offshore sportsbooks in 2025. The Racing Industry Amendment Act, in force since June 28, 2025, extends TAB NZ’s land-based monopoly to all online sports and racing betting, so the TAB and Betcha brands, operated by Entain under a 25-year partnership, are the only legal options for anyone inside the country. Offshore operators that accept bets from New Zealand face civil penalties of up to NZ$5 million. A separate law licensing a limited number of online casinos is scheduled to launch in 2026. The minimum age is 18.

African sports betting has become much more prominent in the last decade as major African economies, including Nigeria, have seen explosive growth. Legal sports betting in Nigeria first launched in 2005 with the passage of the National Lottery Act. The Lottery Act legalizes sports betting across the country, with the only notable restriction being a minimum age of 18 years old. Nigerian sportsbooks accept wagers on almost any sport or league you can think of. Most legal sportsbooks for Nigerians are hosted online, but there are a few retail locations open for those who prefer a more traditional sports betting environment. For those who don’t feel adequately covered by their own domestic sportsbooks, there are many different legal sports betting sites that accept Nigerian residents that are based internationally.

Peru licensed online betting under Law 31557, with regulations that took effect in February 2024. The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism issues licenses, taxes operators at 12% of net revenue, and blocks sites that operate without approval. Established local brands and international operators both hold licenses, and retail betting continues at casinos and the Monterrico racetrack in Lima. The minimum age is 18.

The Philippines regulates gambling through PAGCOR, which licenses domestic online betting for residents and operates casinos of its own. The country’s long-running offshore gaming industry is gone: President Marcos ordered all offshore gaming operators, known as POGOs, to cease by December 31, 2024. Filipinos may bet with PAGCOR-licensed online operators, and the minimum age is 21. Lawmakers in 2025 debated further limits on online gambling access, including restrictions on e-wallet funding, so the rules may tighten again.

Puerto Rico legalized sports betting in 2019 and launched retail wagering in February 2022, when BetMGM opened at Casino del Mar in San Juan. Online betting followed in June 2023 with BetMGM, then Caesars, and FanDuel joined in January 2025. DraftKings opened a retail sportsbook in late 2025 with online approval pending. The Puerto Rico Gaming Commission requires every mobile account to be opened in person at a partner casino, online accounts are limited to residents, and the minimum age is 18. Operators pay 12% of online revenue in tax.

Sports betting is legal in Russia only through domestic bookmakers licensed by the federal government, and every bet must pass through a single state-authorized payment hub that tracks wagers and collects a levy for sports funding. Roskomnadzor blocks unlicensed sites, and nearly all international operators withdrew from the country after 2022. Online casinos are illegal. We do not recommend any sportsbook for bettors in Russia.

In case you were wondering, sports betting is indeed legal in South Africa. Sports gambling was formally established in the country back in 1994. Ever since then, legal sportsbooks in South Africa have become universally available through retail and online sports betting sites. In South Africa, horse betting and sports betting are tied into each other. So, the laws created for sports betting will affect horse race betting as well.

There are an estimated 300 retail and legal sports betting sites that accept South African players right now, so there is a lot to choose from. Much like Canada or the United States, South Africa has nine different provinces in the country. Each province has its own regulatory board for sports betting and legal horse racing betting. Each regulatory board can add regulations to South African sports betting as well.

The United Kingdom has the most established regulated market in the world, overseen by the Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act 2005. Betting shops remain on most high streets, but online accounts for the majority of wagers, and every operator serving UK customers must hold a British license. Reforms following the 2023 gambling white paper have tightened the market: online slot stake limits of 5 pounds, or 2 pounds for players under 25, took effect in 2025, a statutory levy on operators now funds treatment and research, and financial risk checks apply to heavier spenders. William Hill, once a listed British company, is now owned by Evoke. The minimum age is 18, and GamStop provides national self-exclusion.

The U.S. Virgin Islands authorized sports betting by statute but has never launched it. No operator holds a license from the territory’s Casino Control Commission, the islands’ casinos on St. Croix do not take sports wagers, and there is no legal online option. Any site accepting bets from the Virgin Islands is operating without authorization. Lawmakers have discussed rules for a launch, but no timeline has been set.

Betting from abroad means the U.S. helpline and state self-exclusion lists cannot help you. Most regulated countries run their own, and several have systems that work better than anything in the American market. If you are betting in a country on this page and it has stopped being entertainment, the resources below are free and confidential.

The United Kingdom’s National Gambling Helpline at 0808 8020 133 is open 24 hours a day, and GamStop blocks you from every licensed UK site with one registration. Australia’s Gambling Help Online at 1800 858 858 offers counseling by phone and chat, and BetStop is the national self-exclusion register. In Canada, ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600 covers Ontario, and each province’s lottery corporation lists its own service. New Zealand’s Gambling Helpline is 0800 654 655. The Netherlands runs Cruks, a self-exclusion register that every licensed operator must check. South Africa’s National Responsible Gambling Programme is reachable at 0800 006 008.

For countries without a national service, Gambling Therapy provides free online support in more than a dozen languages, and Gamblers Anonymous lists meetings worldwide. Wherever you are, set a limit before you bet, use whatever deposit and time controls the operator offers, and treat a growing urge to chase losses as the signal to stop.