Top 4 Best Betting Sites in Portugal

Created by potrace 1.10, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2011
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Where can we bet securely and which are the leading bookmakers in Portugal?

To find a reliable betting site in Portugal could be difficult. In order to help you with the choice, we provide a table with the leading online bookmakers on which you can trust about your betting needs. Check out which are they below:

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New customers only. This offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. Min Deposit: £10. Free Bet awarded: £10. 1 x £10 must be wagered at odds of 1.75+ to unlock Free Bet. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). Free bet will expire 7 days after the 1st deposit. 18+. gambleaware.org. Bet The Responsible Way. Full Terms apply | gamstop.co.uk

Best Betting Sites in Portugal Ranked


Introduction

Betting online has been legal in Portugal for only a relatively short period, but the market continues to grow. Punters can experience a range of different betting options from many different bookmakers. The pastime has a long history in the country and continues to be something that is well regulated and safe so that users can enjoy their time without having to worry.

Interesting Facts about Betting in Portugal

  • The average Portuguese bettor spends 2.4% of their average yearly income on betting activities
  • Gambling funds over 6% of Portugal’s entire tourism industry
  • The minimum age to gamble in Portugal is 18
  • Casino Estoril, which was once the biggest casino in Europe, is believed to be the inspiration behind the first James Bond novel, Casino Royale
  • There were at least two large casinos built in Portugal before gambling was even considered a legal activity
  • Portugal’s gambling industry is regulated by its tourism sector because it is so popular with overseas visitors

Gambling Legislation and Laws

Gambling in Portugal is legal in most forms, both in brick and mortar establishments and online. There are several different laws regarding different types of gambling; each law generally corresponds to a different type of betting.

Online gambling is slightly different, and has been legalized by the Decree-Law No. 66/2015, and was amended by the Law No. 49/2018. This means that operators can provide gambling services, as long as they have the necessary licenses and fulfil the exact requirements.

Top online betting websites in Portugal

There are a number of betting websites that are licensed to operate in Portugal, meaning that punters have a wide variety to choose from, something that can seem initially daunting to new players. Here are some of the best sites available:

#1 Betway

All experienced bettors know that Betway is a British website, that is available in most European countries. They offer a wide range of sports to bet on, and around 30 different markets for most events, including live betting. The site also offers casino gambling, with card games, live casino opportunities and slots. If you give Betway a chance, you will be suprised by the diversity of bonuses and different kind of offers. There are promotions for casino fans and sports bettors.

homepage of betway

Visit Betway

#2 22Bet

Being around since 2007, the experience of the brand 22Bet has allowed the company to develop one of the most user-friendly websites on the market. They are big enough that they offer both local and larger, international betting opportunities for Portuguese players, as well as high-quality customer services. Although they do offer casino betting, the majority of their punters use the sports betting section, which provides a range of different sports to bet on.

homepage of 22bet

Visit 22bet

#3 Betano

The third-best betting platform for the Portugal market is Betano. This one was founded in 2016 but is swiftly proving itself to be one of the best competitors on the Portuguese market. They offer a wide range of promotions and features and increase their user rate by offering high odds and live betting on a large number of sporting events. The site is translated in Portuguese, making it easy to navigate for local users, and of course, the euro is accepted as a form of betting currency.

homepage of betano

Visit Betano

Competition between Operators

There is somewhat of a monopoly when it comes to legal, land-based betting. Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Lisboa is the only land-based organization that can offer sports betting and lottery services.

Although when it comes to betting online, Portuguese companies cannot operate betting monopolies at the expense of overseas companies. Like many other countries in the European Union (the EU), Portugal has been forced to bow to demand and open their online betting market to international competitors. Companies are eligible for a Portuguese license if they belong to another EU country and fulfil the other requirements. As a result of this, the Portuguese online market has opened up, and there is no monopoly on online gambling. Punters can pick and choose a site that is right for them, and the market competition ensures better odds and the latest in gambling technology.

Bonuses from Portugal Bookmakers

Portuguese bookmakers are incredibly generous with their bonuses and promotions, in an attempt to encourage new users to sign up, and existing users to keep playing. For almost every betting website, there is some form of welcome bonus simply for registering, or making your first deposit. Many people get sucked into the first bonus they see because it looks so great – often free bets, or credits that match your initial deposit, often to the value of at least €100. Punters should exercise caution though – many of the welcome promotions have strict wagering requirements that make it somewhat difficult to withdraw any winnings.

Existing customers can also receive bonuses and promotions on an ongoing basis. Many websites offer bonuses related to specific games or championships, which might involve increased odds, or other specials if you bet. These are often also changing, so punters should check the promotions page of betting sites relatively often, to make sure they are not missing out on any opportunities to win.

Betting Features and Options in the Portugal Bookmakers

Due to the fierce competition between betting sites, there is a need to entice users with the latest in betting technology. That is why Portuguese betting sites offer such great features and options to punters, including:

Live Streaming
Live streaming allows users to watch live coverage of the event that they have bet on. This adds a more exciting level to at-home betting, especially for events that are not televised – this gives the punter the opportunity to watch them in real-time, and know how their bet is going to play out. Most sites require users to bet on a game before they can access the live stream of it.

Live Betting
Traditional betting must be done before the event has begun, and is calculated using odds that are based on statistics from previous events. Live betting allows users to continue to bet even when the event has started, in real-time, using odds that are constantly changing to reflect changes in the event.

Cash Out
Many sites offer cash out as a way to exit bets before the event has ended. A punter can choose to leave a bit early and collect winnings based on the odds at the time of exiting the bet, regardless of what the final outcome is. Many sites will allow users to do partial cash out, leaving some of their bet in the running. Some platforms also allow automatic cash out. This means that when the odds of a bet reach a certain point, it will cash out. It should be noted that this is not a method of withdrawing money into your bank account, merely from a bet.

Bet Builder
Bet builders have different names depending on the betting site, but the premise is generally the same. Punters can combine a number of different bets on the same event, and if all of the bets are successful, the winnings are better than if all of the bets had been placed separately. Most sites offer some flexibility with their bet builders – punters can choose exactly what bets they want to include, and how many bets they want to combine. The increased winnings do come with increased risk though – if even one of the bets is unsuccessful, the punter receives nothing, a fact which makes the bet builders even more thrilling to play with.

Live Casino
The live casino feature is offered at most betting sites and is designed to mimic the experience of a real casino as much as possible. Punters get the chance to play games against real people in real-time as if they were all sitting around the card table. This allows bettors to feel as though they are socially engaging while betting, not just sitting alone at home.

Available Payment Methods

Because online gambling is legal, there are a number of safe payment options that bettors can take advantage of, and they do not need to worry about payments being blocked. The most common forms of depositing and withdrawing money include using Visa or Mastercard debit cards/credit cards, or bank transfers. These are generally free methods to deposit or withdraw money. Customers can also use a variety of e-wallets, the most popular and most-commonly accessible are Neteller and Skrill, although individual betting sites may offer different options as well. MB Way is also becoming increasingly popular and offered on more and more sites. This is a method of mobile banking and allows punters to make payments via their mobile device.

Although there are a vast number of choices, each betting site is going to be slightly different. Punters should always check the site they are using to see what options are available, if they are instantaneous, and if they are free or if there are fees associated with that particular method.

Portugal uses the euro (EUR) as their form of currency. This is beneficial to Portuguese punters because EUR is accepted on almost all betting sites. All they need to do is deposit their money and bet; they do not have to go through the hassle of converting their currency, which can often be expensive.


Mobile Betting in Portugal

Portugal is a country where the vast majority of the country has access to smart devices such as tablets and mobile phones, and as a result, mobile betting is becoming increasingly popular. Almost all betting sites registered in Portugal offer a corresponding betting app that is free to download on either Apple or Android devices. These apps are designed to offer all of the services of the main desktop site, just easier to use on a touch device and a smaller screen.

Some sites also offer bonuses simply for downloading and using the mobile app. If users know that they are likely to use the betting app, it may be worth looking around for a company that offers these bonuses, and they can benefit from something they were going to do anyway.

Online Casinos

Online casinos are legal in Portugal, and there are a number of sites that offer these services. Although it may not be as popular as sports betting, it is still a huge market. Many international sites will offer both sports betting and casino games, but there are also sites that exclusively offer great casino betting options. Punters can browse through a number of different types of casino games, such as slots, card games like blackjack and poker, roulette, as well as live casinos where they can bet and play against real people in real-time.

Leading Sports for Betting in Portugal

Sports betting enjoys relative popularity among Portuguese bettors, and here are the most popular sports to bet on:

  • Football
    Football is the most popular sport in the world, and Portugal is definitely part of the craze. The Portuguese love to play the sport, as well as bet on it, both at a local level and internationally. A number of different sites allow Portuguese punters to bet on football games from national championships, as well as international tournaments that might not include Portugal, and of course the largest Football World Cup games.
  • Basketball
    Basketball is another sport that enjoys relative popularity in this country, both on the court and in the bookmakers. Although the national basketball league (Liga Portuguesa de Basquetbol) does not enjoy the same popularity as the American NBA, it is still available on most international sites to bet on, with a range of markets to suit all bettors.
  • Tennis
    Tennis is incredibly popular within the country, and there are a number of players who have represented the country internationally and done extremely well. While there is some local coverage of the sport, online betting on tennis is usually done on larger international championships, such as Wimbledon and the French Open. Unlike many other sports, both female and male tennis matches enjoy equal popularity among punters.
  • Futsal
    Futsal is very similar to football, except it is usually played indoors and with a smaller team. Portugal excels at this sport, and bettors love to gamble on their favourite team. Portugal has its own national league that punters bet on, but there are also games and championships from overseas that punters can bet on as well if they are interested.
  • Handball
    Portugal frequently qualifies for the international handball championship, and the country’s team always enjoys relative success at this professional level. The game is a favourite for many bettors due to the high-stakes games and constantly-changing odds, making the outcomes very unpredictable.
  • Volleyball
    Volleyball is another sport that enjoys relative popularity and success in Portugal. The national team competes in the European Volleyball Championship, which is widely covered on all European international betting sites, but they also participate in the Olympics, which of course is covered extensively on all betting sites.



The Profile of a Portuguese Bettor

Very little is publicly known about Portuguese bettors, despite the fact that gambling is legal, and therefore there should be no issues gathering data. Online gambling is becoming increasingly more popular compared to offline betting, and mobile gambling is uptaken faster than betting on a desktop site. The government heavily monitors gambling to prevent any unhealthy habits developing, and players have the opportunity to self-exclude themselves from gambling venues if they think they have a problem, and the venues prevent them from playing for five years.




FAQ

Is online sports betting legal in Portugal?

Yes, online sports betting is legal in Portugal, and there are a number of different betting sites that punters can access in order to gamble.

Are online casinos legal in Portugal?

Yes, online casinos are also legal in Portugal, and punters can enjoy a range of legal casino-style betting options on a variety of sites that are safe and reputable.

Can I open an account and play in EUR?

Yes, almost all betting sites accept EUR as a form of currency to bet with.

Are there any taxes for Portuguese players on their winnings?

No, Portuguese players are not taxed on gambling winnings. Although online operators are taxed a hefty amount and may pass this cost onto players, the players legally do not have to pay taxes to the government on their winnings.

Is betting on foreign websites safe?

There is always going to be some risk when betting on a foreign website and providing the vendor with private information. However, all betting sites that are licensed to operate in Portugal, even if they are from overseas should be reliable and reputable and have some kind of safety in place to ensure punters do not need to worry. And as long as bettors are playing on registered sites, in the unlikely event that something does go wrong, they are playing legally and thus can seek legal help for the issue.
It is not always safe to bet on unlicensed foreign websites, and it is not recommended.

Which are the best football betting websites in Portugal?

There are a number of high-quality sports betting sites that offer football betting services to Portuguese bettors; there is no single company that stands out. The best football betting sites are the ones that are licensed in Portugal, respect the safety of their punters, but also offer a wide range of football games to bet on, as well as different betting markets, with great odds. Some of the best sites to bet on football include 1xBet and 888sport.

Are there any betting restrictions for players from Portugal?

No, ultimately Portuguese punters enjoy relative freedom when it comes to betting online. There are a number of different betting sites that they can choose from, they can bet on sporting events as well as casino games, many sites offer services in Portuguese, and the euro is accepted as a form of currency.




Our Verdict

Portugal is an example of a country that heavily monitors gambling activity for signs of problems within users, but the majority of the population are not restricted when it comes to enjoying their pastime. All forms of gambling are available online and offline, and punters can play knowing that they are also protected by law in the event that something does go wrong. The laws are also changing according to the changing nature of the betting scene, meaning that there are no outdated laws that leave punters questioning the legality of certain types of betting – everything is clear.

The government imposes incredibly high taxes on vendors, and many choose to exit the Portuguese market to avoid these high fees. While this can somewhat limit the choices that Portuguese players have, there are still enough companies paying the fees in order to be licensed, and punters can enjoy a decent number of options.