Although several years ago, Arab countries were not a major market for the virtual gambling industry, this has completely changed today. Thanks to the increase in localization, the generous rewards, and the provision of unrivaled features, the Arab market sites have become one of the most prominent global markets in the virtual gambling industry at the present time.
Top Supported Arabian Countries Sports Betting Sites
Brands in the sports betting industry now support the Arabic language such as Betfinal, 888 Sports and YYY Sports. In general, the Arab market is led by 7 major countries, namely Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar. For more details about Sports Betting in Arabian Countries, read on this guide in which we will provide you with a quick guide to these countries:
Egypt
Egypt is the largest Arab country ever. Egypt contains more than 110 million citizens and has a great civilization of 5,000 years. Although gambling has been a part of nightlife in Egypt throughout history until the 1950s, widespread prohibitions have greatly reduced casinos in Egypt. However, Egypt still has 26 casinos in Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh, Alexandria, Hurghada, and other cities as well. Egyptian bettors can easily enjoy gambling games using their smartphones or tablets connected to the internet.
Morocco
Although Morocco is a small Arab country on the map, it has a unique cultural richness and is one of the most important tourist destinations, not only in the middle-east, but worldwide. In addition, the level of freedoms in Morocco is much higher than that of its other Arab neighbours. There is a lot of news in local and Arab newspapers about Moroccans who managed to make millions of dollars from sports betting sites in Arab countries.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is the big sister of all Arab countries. Saudi Arabia has the second largest reserves of oil in the world and during the past six decades it has achieved a huge economic boom thanks to the export of petroleum derivatives to all countries of the world. Saudis enjoy a high level of prosperity that their other Arab brethren would envy.
Although Saudi Arabia has been adhering to puritanical Arab traditions throughout the previous decades, it has gradually tended to support the industries of entertainment, sports, electronic sports, and online games, which are all industries related to sports betting. Also, it leads the sports betting in Arabian countries. Recently, the famous 888 website announced a massive investigation into the accounts of the older Saudi players participating in this platform due to their large number!
Kuwait
Although Kuwait is a very small Arab country in terms of area, it has a very high level of wealth. Perhaps the main reason behind this is that its population does not exceed 5 million people, and it also does not need to spend on large-scale development operations, given that its area is basically small. Although the older Kuwaitis prefer to play in Las Vegas and Macau casinos, the new generation has different preferences as it is more inclined to bet on sports online and they are the best in sports betting in Arabian countries.
The UAE
The UAE is an oasis of technology, tourism and innovation in the Arab world. Although its economy was dependent on oil revenues for a long period of time, it succeeded in diversifying its sources of domestic income to integrate other sectors such as banking, construction, tourism, hotel, aviation, tourism and other fields. Emiratis prefer gambling options that rely on luck, such as lotteries and casino games. However, many young Emiratis now prefer to bet on sports such as football, handball, and other sports betting in Arabian countries.
Bahrain
Bahrain is one of the smallest Arab countries. However, like all the Arab Gulf countries, Bahrain has a very strong economy since it depends on revenues from the sale of oil and other petrochemicals as well. Since Bahrainis do not like to wait for a long time, they love fast-paced gambling games, especially slots and roulette as well. However, there is a large segment of Bahraini gamblers who have come to prefer Arab sports betting sites in recent times.
Qatar
Qatar is one of the richest Arab countries ever since it relies on sales of oil, natural gas and liquefied gas as well. One of the biggest surprises announced recently is that the Qatari royal family owns a group of casinos in the UK, which at least goes to show how much Qataris love gambling. Although the majority of Qataris prefer casino games, there is a growing base of sports bettors who are fond of sports betting in Arabian countries, especially football and virtual sports.
Intro to Sports Betting in Arab Countries
Although the footprint of Arab countries in mainstream sports is limited and not comparable to Europe or Latin America, Arab fans have the same enthusiasm as fans in the United Kingdom and Germany. Therefore, for example, the clubs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were keen to include Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, as well as Qatar hosting the World Cup in 2022, and Morocco will host the next edition of the Club World Cup, and Saudi Arabia is also working to submit a joint file with Egypt and Greece to host the World Cup 2026 Certainly, a form of passion for sports is the growing interest in sports betting sites in Arab countries. In the next section, we will quickly address the most prominent and favorite sports for sports betting in Arabian countries:
Football
Football holds the crown as the most played and popular sport in the world and therefore it deserves its place at the top of our list of sports betting in Arabian countries. While horse racing once reigned supreme, early cashouts and live bets have transformed football betting into a colossal entity. In Egypt alone, it is estimated that more than 1 billion is bet on football every year. The true figure for football betting in Arab countries can’t be estimated accurately as they are grey markets, but given the huge viewing figures for major events, the true amount of football betting worldwide must be huge.
Horse racing
Each country has its own national animal. In Australia, kangaroos. In the USA, the American Eagle. In Arab countries, the national animal is the horse. Besides being mentioned in the Qur’an, it was a major part of the history of the Arabs and an indispensable tool in trade, war, racing and sports betting in Arabian countries as well. Arab countries host the largest horse races in the world, especially the Dubai Cup and the Saudi Cup, whose combined prize money totals more than $20 million! Arabs also like to bet on horse championships that are held in the United States, Britain, and France.
Camel Racing
Camel is the ship of the desert, as the Arabs say about it. Although camels often prefer to walk slowly, there are certain factions that love to run fast, and therefore – during the past years – the sport of camel racing has spread widely in the Arab Gulf countries, but it has not yet appeared on the world stage. Although camel racing is central to sports betting in Arab countries, it is still not widely available in global betting sites. Therefore, we advise you to register with the sites we recommend here if you are interested in betting on horse racing.
Basketball
Basketball is a hugely popular sport around the world, and so is sports betting. The NBA is the most popular basketball league in the world, generating billions in bets every season. Every match gets a lot of attention and numerous betting options are available for both pre- and live bets. Popular bets include spread bets, money line bets, over/under bets and futures bets on which team will win the championship. In several countries, professional basketball leagues are also very popular to bet on. In addition, 3×3 basketball, a variant of basketball with three players per team, has also grown rapidly in popularity.
Baseball
Baseball has been a popular sport among fans for decades. Major League Baseball (MLB) is the largest and most popular baseball league in the world, and offers plenty of opportunities for sports betting. In baseball betting you can choose from many different types of bets. The most popular are money line bets, spread bets, over/under bets and future bets on which team will win the championship. But there are also many other types of bets, such as bets on individual players or bets on the number of home runs in a game. Japan’s professional baseball league, the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB), is also a popular betting target for baseball fans. This competition is especially popular in Japan, but is also followed by fans all over the world.
Tennis
Surprisingly, tennis is the seventh most popular sport for sports betting in Arab countries, with a high volume of betting due to the many in-play betting options. The tournament formats make it easy to bet on low odds, especially in the early rounds when top players like Federer and Nadal often compete against outsiders. In addition, the emergence of live betting has contributed significantly to the growth of tennis betting.
Promotions and Bonuses
Bonuses of sports betting in Arabian countries are rewards intended for sports bettors. If you register as a new player with a bookmaker you will already receive a welcome bonus. Only this is a one-time bonus, for example a free bet of a certain value. But after that it doesn’t stop at most bookies.
Arab bookmakers like to offer fun promotions every week for certain popular leagues, matches or teams. Sports betting promotions are interesting because you always have higher potential winnings. If you take advantage of a promotion, you can never go backwards!
Do you want to take advantage of a promotion? Check the ‘Promotions’ page of the Arab sports betting site and see which promotions are currently active. Sometimes the promotion is automatically added to your bet and sometimes you have to register for a certain promotion first. However, using a promotion does not cost any extra money.
Each sports betting site has a plenty of promotions that bookmakers use to keep sports betting interesting. One bookmaker organizes promotions more often than the other bookmaker, but in general the following promotions are most common:
Welcome Bonus
The welcome bonus is the biggest offer you can get from sports betting sites in Arabian countries. Sign-up deals come in several formats, the most popular of which is the matching bonus. However, sports betting sites often offer their customers a welcome bonus in the form of cashback offers or free bets as well.
To get your welcome bonus, you need to create a new account and then activate it. After that, you need to make your first deposit to get your offer. Sometimes, the sports betting site require you to enter a coupon code upon depositing to redeem the offer. In this case, you can get the promo code from our reviews or by contacting the bookmaker’s customer service.
Freebet
A free bet is a free bet! You can literally place a bet on the cost of the sports betting site. A free chance to win real money! With a free bet, the profit distribution is always exclusive of the bet. So suppose you receive a €5 free bet and you win €30, you will be paid €25. The €5 bet remains with the bookmaker! You do not have to play around the winnings of a free bet and can therefore also have it paid directly to your personal bank account!
Odd boost
An odds boost is an increased odds. Bookmakers determine the odds based on statistics, data, probability calculation, but also based on the odds of other sports betting sites. By offering increased odds, players choose to play with that particular sports betting site rather than the rest. This odds boost is often unrealistic, because you get a much too high odds for a certain match. As a player you can take advantage of this! sports betting sites then hope that you will continue to bet on their website and that is why they offer unrealistically high odds.
Profit Boost
A profit boost is a way to increase the profit of your sports betting. A sports betting site gives you a certain percentage on top of your winnings. You must therefore have correctly predicted the bet before you can enjoy the profit boost. After that you will receive, for example, 10% or 15% extra profit from the sports betting site, without any snags! If you want to use the profit boost, you must first select it before placing a bet. At that moment you don’t know yet whether your prediction is going to be right, but that’s the risk you take!
Combo Boost
You also get higher odds with a combo boost. Only in this case will you only get this boost in odds if you put several matches on one bet slip. You can then enjoy a combo boost on, for example, 4 matches. The more matches you put on one bet slip, the higher the combo boost will be. But if you place more matches on one form, the chance of getting the bet right also decreases. So that’s a decision you have to make for yourself.
Promotion Terms
Before you use a sports promotion, it is useful to know exactly what to expect. It may not always be fun, but reading the promotion conditions prevents a lot of confusion. If players do not know the terms and conditions, they may inadvertently fail to follow the promotion’s requirements (minimum deposit, minimum odds or maximum bet). It is also possible that afterwards you will run into conditions that you did not expect (for example wagering conditions). When we share a new sports promotion of sports betting in Arab countries, we always clearly indicate what the most important promotion conditions are.
Payment Methods
After you have created an account with a reliable online bookmaker, you must have money in your account to be able to bet on, for example, football or Formula 1. You can pay at online bookmakers with various reliable payment methods. This gives you quick access to your money to bet on your favorite sport.
Paying at the best sites of sports betting in Arabian countries must be fast, safe, simple and above all reliable. There is a payment method for every player at the internet bookies. Paying at online bookmakers of sports betting in Arabian countries is often the same as buying something over the internet at an online store.
For this you also use your credit card (Visa or Mastercard), paysafecard, Apple Pay or one of the good e-wallets such as Skrill, Webmoney, ecoPayz or Neteller. You can also find almost all options at the online casinos. Often the minimum deposit is €10 and the maximum €10,000 per 24 hours, but this differs per bookmaker. You can always see all current information when you choose a payment method in the checkout.
Credit Cards
The credit card is still a very popular means of payment with online bookmakers. You immediately have your money with the 16 numbers on your Visa or Mastercard, the expiry date and the Security number (CVV/CCV). Nowadays you get an extra check when using your credit card such as Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode. As a result, malicious parties cannot debit money from your credit card.
E-wallets
The e-wallets are also indispensable if you want to bet or gamble online. An e-wallet is a safe and simple way to deposit money into your player account. For that you have to create a free account with Skrill, Neteller, and MuchBetter. But that happened within minutes. You then have access to your own online digital wallet that you can use anywhere (including internationally). Then enter your details and the amount to be deposited in the cash register. Confirm the deposit and you can play immediately! You can also use your favorite e-wallet for all your online purchases. So not just for gambling.
Apple Pay
Apple Pay has also found its way into sports betting in Arabian countries. Pay with your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad or iMac and receive your money immediately. This technology uses your credit card information to use your device as an online wallet.
To make a deposit via Apple Pay, you must have Apple Pay set up and enabled on your device using the Safari browser. As with most payment methods, you MUST ALWAYS use an account in your own name. If you do not do this, you may have problems with your payments and your account may even be closed.
PayPal
PayPal is one of the best known and most reliable online payment methods and has been active since 1998 with more than 200 million users worldwide. You can use your PayPal account for online shopping, transferring and receiving money. All this via a smart link with your bank account or credit card, which gives you a lot of flexibility.
Paysafecard
The paysafecard allows you to pay on various websites without using a bank account or credit card. Buy a paysafecard for an amount of your choice at a shop or petrol station. Enter the code with 16 numbers at the cash register of the online bookmaker or casino and you immediately have your playing credit.
This used to be fairly relaxed because you could deposit money quite anonymously. Since you always have to verify your account with the legal online sports betting sites these days, this makes little sense. Because you pay a 3% processing fee at some casinos. So we don’t really see the point of paying with the paysafecard with those expensive costs. Then choose an e-wallet where you do not pay any costs and can also access your winnings faster
Rules of Payouts at Sports Betting in Arabian Countries
Did you receive a bonus on your first deposit? Please note that you cannot just have it paid out. You almost always have to bet it an x number of times against a certain odds or wagering requirement (usually odds between 1.5 and 2.0 or 35x your bonus at the online casino). Aren’t you doing this? Then this money is bonus money that you CANNOT cash out. Don’t feel like this? Then don’t grab a bonus, simple! You can find all the information required for your deposit and payout in your bookmaker’s account or cash register. So also the status of your bookmaker bonuses.
Customer Service
You will probably agree with us that customer service should be good and fast. Because nothing is more annoying than facing a glitch while placing a live bet or don’t be able to cash out your winnings because of an unknown. In such cases, you want to be helped quickly and properly and not have to wait days, or even weeks, for the solution; we want relaxation and no stress! Below, we discussed the most common ways to contact customer service of sports betting in Arabian countries.
Of course, help via email is important. For example, if you have more detailed questions. Or maybe you don’t feel like or have time to end up in the queue. Although with e-mail you do of course have the chance to end up in the big pile and therefore have to wait a little longer for your answer.
Phone Calling
You would hardly expect it in this digital age, but a lot of players still value being able to speak to an employee by telephone. You can clearly present your problem. It is often a lot faster than via email and the employees can help you solve the problem step by step.
Live Chat
Such a live chat is ideal for players who prefer not to call, but who want to be helped with their questions as quickly as possible. Some providers cleverly respond to this by first offering a selection menu in the chat, in case the answer to their question is already in the FAQ.
This relieves customer service and allows them to help everyone faster. Were you then not helped? Then you can continue to the live chat where the employees will try to help you further.
Nowadays, with a little live chat, you can also send screenshots and attachments to clearly communicate your problem or question to the live chat employee.
Alternative Contact Channels
Some sports betting sites have other ways of contacting customer service in addition to or instead of a telephone, email or chat service. Such as discord, telegram or messenger.
If they offer this on the side, they are all nice additions, but many punters will not have these apps and therefore will not be able to contact customer service.
Responsible Gaming Regulations
Despite the huge boom in the sports betting industry in the Arab world, Arab countries are still a gray market. In other words, the Arab countries do not have laws against gambling but – at the same time – the Arab countries do not have any companies operating sports betting sites or online casinos. However, this does not mean that there is any danger to sports bettors who decide to gamble from Arab countries as governments cannot track users’ online activities nor can they penalize them. Nevertheless, bettors can secure themselves by using VPN applications when playing at Arab sports betting sites, and conducting financial transactions using cryptocurrencies.
For the highest levels of security when gambling at sports betting sites we always recommend a responsible gambling approach. Sports bettors must set limits on both deposits and withdrawals as well.
Always set limits and the activity check. This is possible with all good online bookmakers. Set a deposit limit, loss limit, or time limit. Then you know for sure that you will not lose more than you actually had in mind beforehand. Play should be an exciting way to relax. Isn’t this the case with you? Then set a break for a day, week or month with just a few mouse clicks. Or let yourself be completely blocked if you really lose too much. With the activity check you can see exactly how long you have been playing and what you have won or lost. This way, playing always remains fun and well-organized. And isn’t that the point?
Best Sports Betting Sites in Arab Countries
The arena has become saturated with sports betting sites that promise players a unique betting experience, yet these sites cannot be equal in the quality of offers, odds, and options. Sports bettors certainly don’t have the time to compare all the sites available on the scene to find out the best for them. Therefore, we decided to make the process easier for you by nominating the 4 best sports betting sites that you can subscribe to, which are as follows:
1xbet
1xbet definitely needs no introduction as it is the most popular site on the Arab scene. 1xbet supports more than fifty languages, especially the Arabic language, and it has a professional team of Arab support agents with whom you can communicate at any time around the clock in Arabic as well. Moreover, this site offers more than 35 different sports that you can bet on. Best of all, 1xbet offers its customers applications that are available for download on both Android devices and iPhone phones as well.
Betfinal
BetFinal is a sports betting site and online casino launched in 2013. BetFinal is one of the few sports betting sites that focus specifically on the Middle East region. Therefore, this player fully supports the Arabic language, as well as it focuses on Arab tournaments and offers special rewards for Arab players. However, BitFinal does not offer applications available for download. This downside is offset by offering a browser-based platform that is user-friendly and easily available to run on smartphones and tablets. New players here get a special welcome bonus, and after taking advantage of it, they are entitled to a lot of new deposit offers, free bets, and many other exciting bonuses.
YYY Sports
YYY Sports is one of the best sports betting sites available to Arab bettors today. Besides supporting more than 30 sports, YYY Sports stands out for its comprehensive and in-depth coverage of tournaments in every sport. So, whether you like betting on the English Premier League or the Kuwait Second Division, you will find everything available at YYY Sports. Moreover, this website fully supports the Arabic language and has a fluent Arabic speaking team. Moreover, YYY Sports offers its clients a huge range of bonuses and promotions. Once you subscribe to this platform you will get a special welcome bonus and after that you will be entitled to benefit from many new deposit offers, free bets and deposit bonuses.
Melbet
Although Melbet is the least known in the Arab world, it is not inferior in any respect to its competitors. This site covers more than 40 sports games, and it also supports more than 30 languages, especially the Arabic language. The site offers more than 1,000 betting markets daily. Melbet offers a lot of high-quality additional features such as live betting, cashback, bet combination tool, and other great features.
Conclusion
On this page, we have provided you with a comprehensive guide to sports betting in Arab countries. Betting is not considered a fad or fade in the Arab world as it is a major part of the entertainment and nightlife in the Arab world. Arab bettors can enjoy betting on their favorite sports in the premium locations that we have recommended to them. The great feature that differentiates sports betting sites from virtual betting shops is that the former offers its visitors a huge range of bonuses and promotions. Moreover, virtual betting agents support a lot of payment methods including bank cards and e-wallets. If you encounter any problem while betting on your favorite sport, you can contact customer service via live chat, email or phone call.
FAQ About Sports Betting in Arabian Countries
What sports are available for sports betting in Arabian countries?
Sports betting sites support a wide range of sports including football, basketball, handball, wrestling, boxing, and other sports.
What payment methods can I use to conduct my transactions?
There are many financial means that you can rely on to conduct your financial transactions, including bank cards and electronic wallets. In addition, you can also use cryptocurrencies to make deposits and withdrawals at sports betting sites.
What rewards can I get in from sports betting sites?
You can get loads of bonuses and promotions at Arabic sports betting sites that include welcome offer, new deposit bonuses, free bets, and other offers as well.
What betting options are available in Arabian bookmakers?
There are a lot of betting options available at Arab betting sites, including moneyline, over/under, full time/half match, special bets, accumulator bets, and many more options available.
How do I register with Arabic sports betting sites?
You can subscribe to sports betting sites easily by clicking on the (Sign-up) tab. After that, you have to fill out the subscription form with your personal data and choose a financial instrument from the cashier’s department to make your first deposit and get your welcome bonus.