Offshore Betting Sites

The term 'offshore betting' usually refers to a wager that is placed in a country other than that in which the bettor usually lives. In real terms, if you live in a country such as the United States, Canada or Australia, you can wager at sports betting sites that are located abroad. List of 15+ Offshore Betting Sites ⌛ February 2021 Offshore Licensed ⭐ For UK Players ⚡ Top-Rated Bookmakers!

• Online Offshore Betting Sites
• Legal Offshore Betting Sites
• Top 5 Offshore Sportsbooks
• Costa Rica Offshore Betting Sites
• Offshore Betting Sites.al
• Top Offshore Betting Sites

In 2021, offshore betting sites are continuing to grow in popularity around the world. They are especially suitable for US players who want to enjoy online sports betting without the hassle.

But are offshore gambling sites legal? How do you know which sites are safe to use, have a great reputation and will give you the best deal? How can you be sure they'll pay out when you win, and keep your information secure?

You'll learn all that and more today in our complete guide to the best offshore sportsbooks.

Top Online Sportsbooks For US Players

The bonus code must be redeemed immediately after the deposit and before any wager has been placed. Only one Sportsbook bonus may be active in an account at any one time. If a bonus is currently active in an account, a new bonus may not be redeemed. The bonus offers are valid for a new customer's first deposit only and before a withdrawal has been made. Customers with Canadian dollar accounts receive their bonus in this currency. Deposits using Neteller do not qualify for any of the sign-up offers (ROOKIE-Bonuses). ROOKIE200/100/50 are only available for customers in North America, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland.

What Is Offshore Betting?

Offshore sportsbooks have been around for more than 20 years. The market is reputedly worth over $100 billion of sports bets per year, and has millions of players around the world.

Advantages of Betting At Offshore Sportsbooks

Using an offshore gambling site gives you access to a range of sports betting options that might not otherwise be available to you due to local legislation which may not allow online betting sites to operate from within your own country.

However, even if there are sportsbooks in your country, there may still be other benefits of using an online sportsbook or casino site instead.

• Speed And Convenience – With an online sportsbook, bettors can view lines and place bets on hundreds of sporting events within seconds. Since all sportsbooks have mobile sites, all this can be done from the palm of your hand, whenever and wherever you choose.
• Live Betting – the ability to wager on a sporting event when it's in-play is something you typically only get at online gambling sites. This feature really takes sports betting to the next level.
• Safety & Security – Just because a sportsbook is located offshore, doesn't mean it's not safe. The best sportsbooks (as listed above) have developed an excellent track record for security over many years, giving bettors 100% confidence.
• Best Odds – It is well known that online sportsbooks offer better odds than land based ones, due to the lower overheads. Savvy bettors know that you need to bet on sports online if you want the best odds every time.
• Deposit Options – A range of deposit options and payment methods available at online sportsbooks allow you to deposit and wager instantly, and withdraw your winnings faster than ever.
• Welcome Bonus – Unlike traditional sportsbooks, most online betting sites offer bonuses for new customers when you join, and regular promotions for their existing players too.
• Betting Limits – The top sportsbooks have high betting limits, making them ideal for sports bettors of all types, from small players to high rollers.

The best online sportsbooks offer all these benefits and more, making them a very popular choice with players.

Is Offshore Betting Safe?

Before you join an offshore sportsbook, one of the first things you'll want to know is whether it is a safe place to bet. When you sign up with any betting site, you're trusting them to look after both your personal data and your money, and also to pay out when you win.

I'll level with you here – because this is important. Not every offshore sportsbook is safe. There are plenty around that are not legit, so it's really important to make an informed choice. That's precisely why I wanted to create this guide, to help bettors just like you.

At Mobile Betting Site, we only list sportsbooks that meet ALL of the following criteria:

• Well established with a positive reputation for trust, honesty and customer service.
• Cutting edge security and SSL encryption technology to keep your data safe.
• Offer fast payout speed, with no history of missed payments.
• Personally tested and approved by our team of experts.

That's why it's so important you make sure to only bet with one of the online sportsbooks I recommended above.

How We Test And Review Sportsbooks

Online Offshore Betting Sites

As a huge online sports betting enthusiast myself, this is an area I'm particularly passionate about. So when I or my team say that we've found the best online sportsbook, we ‘re not just saying it. We've checked them all thoroughly, and this is what we look for.

• Reputation & Trust – It is particularly important for offshore sportsbooks to have a solid reputation. We thoroughly check each sportsbooks history to ensure they are well established, fair and safe.
• Betting Lines & Odds – Does the sportsbook offer a good selection of sports and events to bet on? Do they have generous odds with 'reduced juice' lines?
• Deposit Bonuses – Is there a generous bonus available to new players? Do existing bettors get any reload bonuses, or any other weekly offers and promotions?
• Mobile Websites / Apps – One of the main advantages of online betting is that it's so fast and convenient. But that only works if sportsbooks have a mobile friendly website or an app. We test all online sportsbooks on a range of mobile devices to make sure you can bet quickly and reliably from your phone.
• Deposit Methods – The best online sportsbooks should have a choice of deposit methods. Not just credit card, but also Bitcoin or other crypto, bank wire, e-wallets and more.
• Payout Speed – One of the most important things for a bettor is getting their money after they win. We test each online sportsbook to make sure they have a fast payout speed, and a smooth, no-hassle withdrawal process.
• Customer Service – Sports betting is fun and most of the time everything works just the way it's supposed to. But how does a sportsbook react if you have a question, or if something goes wrong? We put every online sportsbooks' customer service team through their paces, to make sure they are giving customers the experience they deserve.

This methodology is similar to the one we use to review all other online betting sites. The only difference with offshore sites is that we put extra emphasis on the trust and reputation, which is more important with offshore betting sites due to the reduced regulation.

Is Offshore Sports Betting Legal?

Contrary to popular belief, offshore sports betting is completely legal. In fact, all legitimate offshore sportsbooks are licensed by a credible authority, which means they are to fully entitled to provide sports betting services online.

In the USA, for many years laws such as the UIGEA and PASPA made it impossible for online sportsbooks to operate within the United States itself, which is precisely why the offshore gambling industry came into being. Since an offshore sportsbook doesn't operate within the country, its legislators don't have any influence or authority over them.

But it's important to note that these laws apply to the sportsbook, not to the individual. There is no federal law that stops US players betting at offshore sportsbooks. So if you live in the USA and you choose to join any of the sports betting sites we've recommended today, as long as the site accepts players from your country, you're unlikely to have any issues.

That said, it's always better to be safe than sorry. There are some parts of the world where online betting is definitely not allowed (Saudi Arabia for example) and you should not assume that it is legal to wager just because you have an account. This is particularly relevant to those people who travel a lot.

For this reason, we do recommend you do a bit of research on the local laws first. Just to make 100% certain that you're safe to bet online from wherever you are.

FAQ

If you still have any questions about offshore betting, our team has answered all the most common ones below. If there's anything else you'd like to know before you choose a sportsbook to join, simply drop us a message via our contact page. We'll continue to update this guide to keep it up to date.

We've listed the best online sportsbooks at the top of this guide, all of which are US friendly. These offshore gambling sites have passed all of our strict tests and can therefore be recommended to sports bettors from countries around the world. Simply check the flags to make sure they accept players from your country, and you're good to go!

No, not every offshore sportsbook accepts players from the US, but most do. The trick is finding one you can trust.

Not all online gambling sites are legit, so really cannot stress enough how important it is to only join a sportsbook that has been independently tested and approved. Our list of the top offshore gambling sites, which can be found at the top of this page, is the best place to start.

We've added details of the deposit bonus for each sportsbook in our list above. However, it's worth noting that the biggest bonus isn't always the best.

Some bettors love bonuses as a great way to boost their bankroll before they even start betting. Others don't want the hassle of the wagering requirements, and prefer not to take a sportsbook bonus at all. It's not a 'one size fits all' answer, so it really depends what sort of bettor you are.

Legal Offshore Betting Sites

Another thing worth noting is that most betting websites offer a different bonus for sportsbook and casino. You only open one account per site, so you need to decide whether you're likely to spend the most time on the sportsbook or at the casino, to figure out which is the best bonus for you to choose.

Yes, nearly every online sportsbook accepts payments made via debit or credit card. Most of the best sites will also offer other payment solutions including Bitcoin.

It's standard practice when you come to withdraw your money that any betting site needs to verify your ID. The best offshore gambling sites have spent a long time building up their reputation, so it's important they maintain that by making sure none of their customers are involved in fraud or money laundering. This is why ID is required.

They way I look at it is that I never take it personally when I am asked to prove my identity.

I know the reason the sportsbook has to ask, and I also know that I only need to go through the process once (per sportsbook) the first time I make a withdrawal. After that, my documents are on file and my subsequent payouts get processed straight away.

The list of US states that have currently legalized sports betting is growing all the time. Currently this includes:

Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Illinois, Arkansas, Mississippi, Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delware, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

You can't expect to be named best offshore betting site without having a great sportsbook, which is why any betting site we recommend will always have a wealth of options for customers to bet on sports.

These include NFL, College Football, NBA basketball, MLB baseball, NHL hockey, soccer, golf, Tennis, MMA, Boxing and many more. Live betting is available on many of these events as well.

You'll also find speciality events such as Virtual Sports, Esports, Politics and TV.

Whenever you join an internet gambling site, there's often much more available than just a sportsbook. Most will also offer an online casino, poker room, race books, bingo and more.

All of this can be accessed via the same account and login details, so you just sign up once and get access to the sportsbook, all the casino games and everything else the site has to offer.

But are offshore gambling sites legal? How do you know which sites are safe to use, have a great reputation and will give you the best deal? How can you be sure they'll pay out when you win, and keep your information secure?

You'll learn all that and more today in our complete guide to the best offshore sportsbooks.

Top Online Sportsbooks For US Players

The bonus code must be redeemed immediately after the deposit and before any wager has been placed. Only one Sportsbook bonus may be active in an account at any one time. If a bonus is currently active in an account, a new bonus may not be redeemed. The bonus offers are valid for a new customer's first deposit only and before a withdrawal has been made. Customers with Canadian dollar accounts receive their bonus in this currency. Deposits using Neteller do not qualify for any of the sign-up offers (ROOKIE-Bonuses). ROOKIE200/100/50 are only available for customers in North America, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland.

What Is Offshore Betting?

Offshore sportsbooks have been around for more than 20 years. The market is reputedly worth over $100 billion of sports bets per year, and has millions of players around the world.

Advantages of Betting At Offshore Sportsbooks

Using an offshore gambling site gives you access to a range of sports betting options that might not otherwise be available to you due to local legislation which may not allow online betting sites to operate from within your own country.

However, even if there are sportsbooks in your country, there may still be other benefits of using an online sportsbook or casino site instead.

• Speed And Convenience – With an online sportsbook, bettors can view lines and place bets on hundreds of sporting events within seconds. Since all sportsbooks have mobile sites, all this can be done from the palm of your hand, whenever and wherever you choose.
• Live Betting – the ability to wager on a sporting event when it's in-play is something you typically only get at online gambling sites. This feature really takes sports betting to the next level.
• Safety & Security – Just because a sportsbook is located offshore, doesn't mean it's not safe. The best sportsbooks (as listed above) have developed an excellent track record for security over many years, giving bettors 100% confidence.
• Best Odds – It is well known that online sportsbooks offer better odds than land based ones, due to the lower overheads. Savvy bettors know that you need to bet on sports online if you want the best odds every time.
• Deposit Options – A range of deposit options and payment methods available at online sportsbooks allow you to deposit and wager instantly, and withdraw your winnings faster than ever.
• Welcome Bonus – Unlike traditional sportsbooks, most online betting sites offer bonuses for new customers when you join, and regular promotions for their existing players too.
• Betting Limits – The top sportsbooks have high betting limits, making them ideal for sports bettors of all types, from small players to high rollers.

The best online sportsbooks offer all these benefits and more, making them a very popular choice with players.

Is Offshore Betting Safe?

Before you join an offshore sportsbook, one of the first things you'll want to know is whether it is a safe place to bet. When you sign up with any betting site, you're trusting them to look after both your personal data and your money, and also to pay out when you win.

I'll level with you here – because this is important. Not every offshore sportsbook is safe. There are plenty around that are not legit, so it's really important to make an informed choice. That's precisely why I wanted to create this guide, to help bettors just like you.

At Mobile Betting Site, we only list sportsbooks that meet ALL of the following criteria:

• Well established with a positive reputation for trust, honesty and customer service.
• Cutting edge security and SSL encryption technology to keep your data safe.
• Offer fast payout speed, with no history of missed payments.
• Personally tested and approved by our team of experts.

That's why it's so important you make sure to only bet with one of the online sportsbooks I recommended above.

How We Test And Review Sportsbooks

Online Offshore Betting Sites

As a huge online sports betting enthusiast myself, this is an area I'm particularly passionate about. So when I or my team say that we've found the best online sportsbook, we ‘re not just saying it. We've checked them all thoroughly, and this is what we look for.

• Reputation & Trust – It is particularly important for offshore sportsbooks to have a solid reputation. We thoroughly check each sportsbooks history to ensure they are well established, fair and safe.
• Betting Lines & Odds – Does the sportsbook offer a good selection of sports and events to bet on? Do they have generous odds with 'reduced juice' lines?
• Deposit Bonuses – Is there a generous bonus available to new players? Do existing bettors get any reload bonuses, or any other weekly offers and promotions?
• Mobile Websites / Apps – One of the main advantages of online betting is that it's so fast and convenient. But that only works if sportsbooks have a mobile friendly website or an app. We test all online sportsbooks on a range of mobile devices to make sure you can bet quickly and reliably from your phone.
• Deposit Methods – The best online sportsbooks should have a choice of deposit methods. Not just credit card, but also Bitcoin or other crypto, bank wire, e-wallets and more.
• Payout Speed – One of the most important things for a bettor is getting their money after they win. We test each online sportsbook to make sure they have a fast payout speed, and a smooth, no-hassle withdrawal process.
• Customer Service – Sports betting is fun and most of the time everything works just the way it's supposed to. But how does a sportsbook react if you have a question, or if something goes wrong? We put every online sportsbooks' customer service team through their paces, to make sure they are giving customers the experience they deserve.

This methodology is similar to the one we use to review all other online betting sites. The only difference with offshore sites is that we put extra emphasis on the trust and reputation, which is more important with offshore betting sites due to the reduced regulation.

Is Offshore Sports Betting Legal?

Contrary to popular belief, offshore sports betting is completely legal. In fact, all legitimate offshore sportsbooks are licensed by a credible authority, which means they are to fully entitled to provide sports betting services online.

In the USA, for many years laws such as the UIGEA and PASPA made it impossible for online sportsbooks to operate within the United States itself, which is precisely why the offshore gambling industry came into being. Since an offshore sportsbook doesn't operate within the country, its legislators don't have any influence or authority over them.

But it's important to note that these laws apply to the sportsbook, not to the individual. There is no federal law that stops US players betting at offshore sportsbooks. So if you live in the USA and you choose to join any of the sports betting sites we've recommended today, as long as the site accepts players from your country, you're unlikely to have any issues.

That said, it's always better to be safe than sorry. There are some parts of the world where online betting is definitely not allowed (Saudi Arabia for example) and you should not assume that it is legal to wager just because you have an account. This is particularly relevant to those people who travel a lot.

For this reason, we do recommend you do a bit of research on the local laws first. Just to make 100% certain that you're safe to bet online from wherever you are.

FAQ

If you still have any questions about offshore betting, our team has answered all the most common ones below. If there's anything else you'd like to know before you choose a sportsbook to join, simply drop us a message via our contact page. We'll continue to update this guide to keep it up to date.

We've listed the best online sportsbooks at the top of this guide, all of which are US friendly. These offshore gambling sites have passed all of our strict tests and can therefore be recommended to sports bettors from countries around the world. Simply check the flags to make sure they accept players from your country, and you're good to go!

No, not every offshore sportsbook accepts players from the US, but most do. The trick is finding one you can trust.

Not all online gambling sites are legit, so really cannot stress enough how important it is to only join a sportsbook that has been independently tested and approved. Our list of the top offshore gambling sites, which can be found at the top of this page, is the best place to start.

We've added details of the deposit bonus for each sportsbook in our list above. However, it's worth noting that the biggest bonus isn't always the best.

Some bettors love bonuses as a great way to boost their bankroll before they even start betting. Others don't want the hassle of the wagering requirements, and prefer not to take a sportsbook bonus at all. It's not a 'one size fits all' answer, so it really depends what sort of bettor you are.

Legal Offshore Betting Sites

Another thing worth noting is that most betting websites offer a different bonus for sportsbook and casino. You only open one account per site, so you need to decide whether you're likely to spend the most time on the sportsbook or at the casino, to figure out which is the best bonus for you to choose.

Yes, nearly every online sportsbook accepts payments made via debit or credit card. Most of the best sites will also offer other payment solutions including Bitcoin.

It's standard practice when you come to withdraw your money that any betting site needs to verify your ID. The best offshore gambling sites have spent a long time building up their reputation, so it's important they maintain that by making sure none of their customers are involved in fraud or money laundering. This is why ID is required.

They way I look at it is that I never take it personally when I am asked to prove my identity.

I know the reason the sportsbook has to ask, and I also know that I only need to go through the process once (per sportsbook) the first time I make a withdrawal. After that, my documents are on file and my subsequent payouts get processed straight away.

The list of US states that have currently legalized sports betting is growing all the time. Currently this includes:

Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Illinois, Arkansas, Mississippi, Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delware, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

You can't expect to be named best offshore betting site without having a great sportsbook, which is why any betting site we recommend will always have a wealth of options for customers to bet on sports.

These include NFL, College Football, NBA basketball, MLB baseball, NHL hockey, soccer, golf, Tennis, MMA, Boxing and many more. Live betting is available on many of these events as well.

You'll also find speciality events such as Virtual Sports, Esports, Politics and TV.

Whenever you join an internet gambling site, there's often much more available than just a sportsbook. Most will also offer an online casino, poker room, race books, bingo and more.

All of this can be accessed via the same account and login details, so you just sign up once and get access to the sportsbook, all the casino games and everything else the site has to offer.

If you join a top online sportsbook (such as those on the list at the top of this page) then you don't have any worries about whether or not they pay out – because we've checked them rigorously to make sure they do.

Rest assured, any sportsbook or casino that didn't pay out would not be recommended on this site. Payout speed and reliability is a big part of our rating criteria (as detailed above) so you should not have any problems getting paid your winnings.

Each sportsbook has its own betting limits, and these can vary depending on what sports you're betting on. In some cases it is as low as $1000 but in others it can be $5000. Of course this is more than high enough for most bettors, but some high rollers may want higher limits which can be arranged privately.

The sportsbooks always publish this information on their websites, so it's always best to double check before you come to place your wager. You can always ask the customer service team for confirmation if you're unsure.

• Use ITrackMyTime App To Track How Long You Spend Gambling - January 20, 2021
• What Is SP In Horse Racing? - January 11, 2021
• The End At Last For Flash Casino Games - January 2, 2021

Last Updated on December 23, 2020

The differences between legal sportsbook sites and offshore sites

Let's start with some definitions, which is vital since legal sportsbooks and gray market sportsbooks look similar, at first glance.

Regulated sportsbooks and casinos

Currently, legal online gambling sites onlyrun within a few state borders including NewJersey, Indiana, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, to name a few.

These sites are all licensed by casinos or racetracks, which have brick-and-mortar operations and technology partners that run the sites.

Each site will display a badge from its licensing authority, e.g., the New Jersey Division of Gambling Enforcement (NJDGE). Legal sportsbooks will have a responsible gambling policy in place that includes self-exclusion and deposit limits.

Also, you'll be able to find an official, registeredaddress within the state. Finally, all regulated, legal sportsbooks offer a range of mainstream depositoptions including credit cards, PayPal and bank transfers.

Offshore sportsbook sites

There are many long-running brands, some of which have logos and designs that will be familiar to sports bettors.

The key difference is in the licensingauthorities. You will find this information in the footer of each site. Look for authorities like Panama, Curacao and Antigua, which are offshore nations that allow gambling sites to operate.

Another strong 'tell' that a sportsbook operates offshore is the type of deposit options available. If Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies), money transfers and voucher systems are the only way to deposit, then this is a red flag.

When it comes to offshore sportsbooks, there is a blurred line between legality and safety.

Many of these offshore books claim they are legal under the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. While the government does not agree, there is little beyond restricting financial transactions that can be done.

If one of these offshore sites were to shut down overnight and take everyone's bankroll, its customers would have no recourse.

Even if you could argue that these books are legal, they are a long way from being regulated in any practical sense.

Benefits of betting at legal, regulated sportsbooks

If you are in a state that regulates betting, there is no need to risk betting offshore.

You'll find there are several additional reasons that legal sportsbooks are better than the offshore operators. Here are the key benefits:

• Safety: If you are betting offshore and your money goes missing, there will be no one available to help you. With regulated books, each state will have its licensing body. Examples are the NJDGE and Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). These divisions have strict licensing requirements and provide an avenue for complaint if for unfair treatment. With big brand names with reputations worth protecting behind the legal sportsbooks, your chances of having an issue are small.
• Mainstream deposit methods: If you don't want to wire money to a mysterious individual on a Caribbean island, then you should choose legal sportsbooks. You can expect deposit options to include bank transfers (via ACH or bill pay), PayPal, Visa or Mastercard credit cards, or even cash at your local casino's cage. Many of these deposit options have built-in consumer protection.
• Responsible gambling: Legal sportsbooks have controls that protect minors and problem gamblers. Even those of us that gamble responsibly will appreciate this feature. Having tools like deposit limits, time-out and self-exclusion, as well as links to local charities that assist with issues is an essential benefit of legal sportsbooks.
• Quality of platforms and access methods: Regulated sportsbooks are partnerships between local casinos and global technology partners. For example, brands like FanDuel, 888 Sports and ScientificGames run in-state sportsbooks. The local venues then brand these. These partnerships not only give you the best software that includes features like in-play (live) betting, it gives you access to Apple and Android apps, too. When you compare these to the offshore books, you'll find the offshore platforms are a decade out of date.
• Promotions and bonuses: Legal sportsbooks work in competitive markets. You can benefit from this by taking advantage of better promotions and bonus offers than at offshore books, including a plethora of free bet bonuses. Almost all regulated sportsbooks either give you money up front, a no-lose first bet or free bets based on your first wager. These are often followed up with matched bonuses, promotions like parlay insurance, contests and more.

Issues with offshore sports betting sites

When it comes to the downside of unregulated sportsbooks, you'll find more subtle reasons than a simple opposite of the good ones.

While the security of your money is the biggest single issue, there are a lot of smaller problems, too. These include a list of potential problems with payment processing, software platforms and the type of bets you can make.

Payment processing

Banks and financial networks can't knowingly transact with offshore gambling sites. These transactions can lead to a game of cat and mouse, with those books desperately trying to get credit card payments to process. The payments will succeed most of the time (though it comes at a cost to the sportsbooks, which they pass on to bettors in one form or another).

The drawback is that you'll never know when your credit card payment will get through. Can you imagine missing out a great bet because your offshore sportsbook couldn't accept your deposit that day?

Alternative payment options are available. Although cryptocurrency is common, it exposes bettors to volatility in values. Bitcoin and other coins also require several steps to set up a wallet, exchange dollars for coins (and then back again).

Some other payment issues involving the risk of 'trapped bankrolls.' Since it is expensive for the offshore sportsbooks to process payments, they have higher minimums than regulated books. If you enjoy smaller bets, you might find bankrolls of $100, or even more, stuck on the site as your balance is lower than the minimum withdrawal amount. While many offshore books allow one cash out per month via a paper check for free, there are also steep admin fees at some outfits.

Who regulates offshore sites?

The regulation of offshore sportsbooks is hands-off.

While each book is licensed, the chance of an involved licensing jurisdiction in a dispute is minimal. There are a lot of places offshore sportsbooks find licenses.

Here are the most popular:

• Curacao: This Caribbean nation used to be known as the Netherlands Antilles. They have been licensing sportsbooks, casinos and poker rooms for decades. As you will see from the history of offshore sportsbooks below, many of the scandals came from books licensed here.
• Antigua and Barbuda: This nation is notable for instigating a complaint against the US at the World Trade Organization. They stated that the government was unfairly restricting free trade by stopping financial transactions to their legal sportsbooks.
• Costa Rica: Several offshore sportsbooks have claimed to be licensed by this Central American nation over the years. However, there is no official licensing body here. The claim is usually made by companies that simply hold a business license in Costa Rica.
• Panama: This CentralAmerican tax haven has been home to big offshore sports betting brands since the days of telephone wagering. Once again, there is no official body to complain to should you have an issue with a Panama-'licensed' book.
• Kahnawake: This tribal reserve inside Canada was involved with licensing gambling sites for many years. Run by the Morris Mohawk tribe, this sovereign nation hosts many of the servers that power gambling sites for North America.

Top 5 Offshore Sportsbooks

History of shady offshore bookmakers

Costa Rica Offshore Betting Sites

In case the warnings above still leave you tempted to stray into the gray, these cautionary tales should ensure you don't take the risk.

Of course, sports betting scandals pre-date the internet by more than a century.

What we can learn from those scandals are their predictable elements. Betting sites, casinos and poker rooms from jurisdictions with little oversight are always involved.

It starts with complaints from bettors about late payments, denied (or voided) bonuses and a general lack of responsiveness from staff. Once late payments become the norm, it is rare for a site to recover.

As an online sportsbook's reputation crashes, new deposit options fail, which creates a death spiral for the site.

Unregulated site warning signs

Here are the red flags to watch out for if you do bet at an unregulated site:

• Payment delays: If you experience a delay, or hear that other customers are experiencing them, then you should get your entire bankroll out as soon as possible. You should never deposit at a book that has a history of late payments.
• Voiding bonuses: Some offshore books void bonuses for obscure, petty reasons. While even offshore sites have a right to protect themselves against bonus abuse, voiding offers, including welcome bonuses and promotions that were taken in good faith, is a sign that all is not well with management.
• Lack of operating license: While licenses from offshore jurisdictions don't offer you much in the way of protection should things go wrong, the complete lack of one is a massive red flag.
• Lack of deposit options: Offshore books do have problems with deposits (and will charge you for these in one way or another). If you only see one or two non-mainstream options, e.g., only Cryptocurrency or a little-known voucher system, then be wary.
• 'Too good to be true' bonuses and promotions: Sure, sports betting is competitive, and bonuses are a great marketing tool. If you see bonuses that seem so big as to be unprofitable, then they probably are. These books might not be complete scams, though they will likely claw back that money by offering bad lines or adding 'processing fees.'
• High minimum withdrawals or pay to withdraw: If you are a small stakes bettor, then having a minimum withdrawal as low as $200 could effectively trap your bankroll on a site. While most books will let you withdraw once a month for free, some will not. Look out for those sneaky $50 withdrawal fees. These can drain your profits quickly.

Biggest scandals over the years

Unfortunately, the gambling world has had no shortage of scandals throughout the years. Even if the organized criminal past of the industry is set aside, there are plenty of more recent examples of gambling companies acting dishonestly.

• World Sports Exchange
  • WSEX was the first of many betting sites to falter during the first online gambling boom back in 2006. WSEX gambled that players would flock to a 'no rake' pokersite, and those players would provide enough liquidity for the sports-based areas to function. Unfortunately, payments to bettors became slower and slower, eventually stopping altogether. Many bettors lost their bankrolls.

• Black Friday
  • Thepassing of the UIGEA in 2006 forced most of the big, reputable online gambling brands to leave the US. However, many continued to offer access from offshore sites, and thus set the stage for a harsh lesson on the risks of playing with gray market operators. In April 2011, the US Department of Justiceseized domains of big sites, forcing them to halt operations–an event that came to be known in the poker community as 'Black Friday.'
• Full Tilt
  • One of those seized sites was Full Tilt Poker. Until the time of its seizure, Full Tilt was one of the most prominent poker sites and counted numerous big-name poker players as its official team. However, according to a September 2011 amendment to the Black Friday indictment, Full Tilt brass defrauded its client base for roughly $444 million. Well-known poker players Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson were two of the defendants named in the motion, though neither has been convicted of any wrongdoing to date.

More poker scandals

Offshore Betting Sites.al

• Absolute Poker/Ultimate Bet
  • Two more key exemplars of the sort of poor behavior that drove the government to enact Black Friday were the cheating scandals at sister sites Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet. Insiders at the corporate level for both sites used so-called 'superuser' accounts to spy on the hole cards of many users. According to an independent investigation, these thieves stole roughly $20 million over the course of three years.

• Lock Poker
  • More recently, there have been various cardrooms that have run into trouble and had to close shop. One of the more prominent examples of this phenomenon is Lock Poker, which finally ended service in 2016. The closure marked the end of a slow, malingering death that saw the site's ownership honor fewer and fewer cashout requests from players. Although Lock does not suffer from allegations as severe as Full Tilt or Absolute Poker, the sin of refusing to cash out is an unforgivable one for the poker community.

• America's Cardroom
  • Perhaps the most recent cardroom to run aground is America's Cardroom. We are only a year removed from poker forum TwoPlusTwo's cessation of allowing ACR to advertise on the forum. 2+2 boss Mason Malmuthalleged that America's Cardroom was failing on four fronts: late tournament registration, the usage of bots, the possible appearance of superusers (as seen in Full Tilt), and other trouble events that reeked of collusion. ACR famously or infamously paid no mind to repeated calls that it submit itself to regulators, and thus, more or less confirmed that shenanigans were underway.

The sad reality is that this list is neither exhaustive nor final. The lure of easy access to a pot of money will always draw bad actors towards gambling. There is an ever-growing list of gray market sports betting sites which have shut down or been declared rogue by monitoring sites.

We recommend that you steer clear offshore books and wait for legal and regulated sites to reach your state. This also applies to poker and casino players.

Wrapping it up: Regulated sports betting sites are best

Top Offshore Betting Sites

Regulation for online sports betting is moving fast. After successful early adoption in NJ and PA, many more states will follow over the next couple of years. These sportsbooks combine local businesses with big global betting brands.

They not only bring you top-of-the-line platforms, but you'll also receive a vast choice of lines and innovative types of bets like live and early cash-out bets.

Compare these options to offshore books, where you have little or no recourse when your bankroll goes missing, and you'll see why the regulated books are the way to go.