Asia as a continent is huge on sports betting and online sports betting is definitely popular. Depending on which Asian country you are in will determine just how legal it is to bet on sports online. China for example has banned online sports betting and has blocked many bookie sites via ISP blocking. The bookmakers below are the safest for punters in Asia for a number of reasons including reliability and deposit options. You can read the individual reviews to find out if the bookie accepts punters from your country.
Best bookmakers for Asia
There are literally hundreds of bookies attempting to lure the lucrative Asian cash to their online betting sites. Not all are worth your time and money. There are many bookies who have shocking reputations in Asia for safety, including deposit and withdrawals which as always is the main issue when betting online from Asia.
Saying “best bookies for Asia” is too broad of a statement when you take into consideration the variances on gambling laws in countries in this region. You have China as the most populous and their love of gambling, but only select areas (Macau and Hong Kong) where you can wager legally.
Many other Asian countries have similar laws to China but that doesn’t rule you out from punting at online bookies, based in offshore regions. For instance Japan has legal betting on sports and racing on the tote or parimutuel but technically people are not meant to bet with online bookies.
Online bookies give Japanese punters the benefit of far greater spread of betting markets, fixed odds, better odds and a swag of great bonus bet deals and other offers that you will only find in the competitive Asian market. Of the 41 countries in Asia we didn’t find any places where it was impossible to find a betting site to bet with.
The above table displays bookmakers accepting punters from your country. Keep in mind not every bookmaker will cater for your currency even if they will accept your registration. So it pays to read the individual reviews before signing up so you don’t get stung by costly fees.
Two bookies which cater to much of Asia are Bodog88 and 5Dimes with both having few restrictions on what parts of Asia you can sign-up from.
Asian sports, racing & International betting
Obviously Asian countries vary in what sport and racing they want to bet on. The bookies available to each country also vary with what they offer for each jurisdiction. For instance if live in a regulated betting country like Sri Lanka you can bet at a bookie licensed there and have a huge selection of domestic and International sports to bet on.
If you are based in a country with no regulated sports betting you are forced to bet with offshore bookies, if you do this you might find less domestic sports (sport based in the bettors country) than you would in a regulated environment. So it makes sense to bet with a bookie catering specifically for you if possible.
Bodog88 is different to many bookies in that it is based in the Philippines but directly targets countries like China and Malaysia and has sports they are directly interested in.
Popular sports to bet on in Asia
- Football (soccer)
- Horse racing (Aus, UK, USA, Sri Lanka, Japan, China)
- Basketball (NBA, European leagues, NBL)
- Hockey
- Table Tennis
- E-gaming
- Tennis
- Cricket
- Motor sports
- Politics
- Volleyball
- Badminton
- Golf
Mobile sports betting
Like the overall tone of this article it depends on what country you are in as to whether you can download apps for iOS and Android devices such as mobile phones and tablets. If you are in a regulated market like Sri Lanka you can download great apps like the Bet365 one.
For others you can just use the links from the above table to visit the mobile website of the bookmaker you have chosen. All have functional mobile sites, with the only notable difference coming in deposit options, which can be more limited than on a desktop computer.
In terms of sport and racing markets you will find everything you need to place real money wagers on the go.
Banking at bookies in Asia
It’s impossible to cover this topic in one article. We’re talking about way too many different currencies in Asia. We have the HKD, RMB, JPY, MYR, SGD, THB and the TWD to think about, just to name a few of the currencies.
When you are signing up at a bookmaker do your homework as to what currencies they deal in. You can see this information in each bookies individual review on this site, or you can check on their own websites. Why this is so important is exchange fees. Sometimes a bookie will charge to convert from one currency to another, so unless absolutely avoidable you should bet with bookies with your currency.
Deposit options at online bookies include:
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Neteller
- Union Pay
- Paysafecard
- Credit cards
- Cash deposits
- Prepaid Visas
You can generally withdraw money from you betting account by the same method you deposited it. Some bookies will have restrictions on certain methods and you may have to wait between 7-10 days to receive a check in the mail. Banking transactions at all the bookies we endorse at Safebookies.com are protected by at least 128-bit SSL digital encryption, a standard that is met by some of the bigger banking institutions in the world.
Customer Service
We feel it’s imperative there is customer service available when you are gambling at sportsbooks. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to reach a bookie when you have an issue with them.
The bookmakers we endorse all have varying levels of customer service, but importantly all of them have at least one contact method.
Some of the ways to reach online bookies include through live chat, email and phone. Bodod88 has a 24 hour phone service available which is a fantastic thing for bettors in places like China where there is constant issues because of government restrictions.
