To earn big money out of sports betting in the Philippines, choosing a bookmaker needs to be taken seriously. Filipinos love to watch and play sports and therefore betting comes naturally to them. What they need are top-class sports betting sites in the Philippines that will provide satisfying services.
This text will deal with just such a topic. Sportsbooks mentioned in the article maintain the leading position in the Philippines. Read on to find out more about the best sports betting sites in the Philippines and sports betting in general.
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In short, gambling is legal in the Philippines. After the payroll tax deduction, the gambling tax is the second source of income for the government. There are casinos, eGames cafes, slot parlors, sports betting sites, poker clubs, Instawin terminal, Mega Sports World branch, cockfighting, and bingo games available to Filipino players.
But even with the widespread legalization of gambling, the industry is strictly regulated. The laws governing gambling companies vary and are enforced to protect the interests of the majority. There is a strong precedent that prevents domestic companies from offering online gambling to residents. This is only allowed in PAGCOR licensed sites. The foreign sites that are legal and licensed in the country in which they operate are also legal under international law. The legality of using them here in the Philippines is still unclear.
The basic gambling law for players is under Presidential Decree 1602. In 2012, there was a famous case in which Associate Justice Amelita Tolentino suggested that internet gambling is not included in illegal activities that can be punished under current gambling laws. According to it, there is no law that punishes gambling on the internet or online casinos.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) oppose it. They urged lawmakers to amend the laws to include internet gambling. Although this is likely to happen one day, it does not seem right for the very simple reason that the country aspires to become an international casino.
When it comes to the gambling situation in the Philippines, there are 42 casinos located in the country. Each is owned or licensed by PAGCOR. They are owned by the government and under the Office of the President of the Philippines. The casinos offer all classic games like roulette, blackjack, poker, and more.
PAGCOR’s first establishment was a floating casino that opened in 1977. In 1986, all its operations were made land-based. Today, PAGCOR is very large and operates dozens of casinos and hundreds of sports betting shops, slots clubs, bingo halls, and cafés. They have about 11,000 employees and are just next to the Tax and Customs Authority in contributing revenue.
Although PAGCOR is stable, its development is not very fast but is expected to increase. This can be seen in their revenue which reached P31.46 billion in 2010, P36.65 billion in 2011, and P40.88 billion in 2012. The government’s National Tourism Development Plan aims to develop annual tourism to 10 million. A large part of this plan is the construction of luxury casinos, one of which has already been built.
Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III was the guest of honor at the opening of the giant P48.97 billion ($1.2 billion USD) Solaire Manila Resorts casino in March 2013. It is the first of four large casinos to be built in Manila Bay to be named Entertainment City. The plan is to make the Philippines a big destination for casino-loving tourists and be able to compete with Las Vegas and Macau.
Why is this important for sports betting?
The Philippine Gaming and Entertainment Corporation has approved applications for Bloomberry Resort Corp.’s Solaire Resort and Casino; City of Dreams Manila; and Okada Manila to operate online betting. Shares of gaming companies surged after the announcement. Afterward, the Philippines’ gaming regulator has allowed land-based casinos to take online gambling, in a move that could help operators cushion losses caused by the pandemic.
Shares of Bloomberry rose 4.2% while shares of Premium Leisure Corp., which receives its profits from City of Dreams Manila, soared 6.3% before closing 3.2% higher. Belle Corp., the parent company of Premium Leisure, gained more than 2%. Philippines gross gaming revenue fell 96% in the second quarter due to lockdowns to stem the spread of the coronavirus, with operators such as Bloomberry posting losses.
The gambling regulator has been gradually pushing for land-based casinos to reopen after they were closed in March 2020 when the government imposed lockdowns and travel restrictions. Online casinos that only operate in foreign markets, and focus mainly on Chinese customers, were also affected by the restrictions and the new gambling tax.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Philippines?
Sports betting is legal in the Philippines and is regulated by law. While there are national casinos and sportsbooks, foreign sports betting sites can offer services to Filipino players as well. Due to healthy competition within the betting market, sports betting is striving in the Philippines.
For both Filipino players who haven’t previously experienced online betting, as well as those who have, it can be quite difficult to choose a good sportsbook. They work well at first glance, but in the long run, some can prove to be underwhelming. Here are some tips to consider when choosing favorite sports betting sites in the Philippines.
Think about which betting markets you want available to you and choose the betting site accordingly. In addition, consider the various types and options of betting. Some bookmakers may only offer to bet before an event starts, while others also allow the possibility of live betting, which is always recommended to have. You can also analyze other types of betting, including playing on the total number of goals or points, choosing the winner of the tournament or his top scorer, etc.
It is important that the chosen sports bookmaker has all the desired bets that you may want to make in both the present and future.
Betting enthusiasts have created many websites where you can get insightful information about different providers in the Philippines. There, you can see a detailed review of the bookmaker’s services and what to expect from them. You can discover important details ranging from the registration process to the available betting markets and other vital features that could draw you to that platform.
The next thing you want to do is check the odds offered by sports betting sites in the Philippines and compare them. There are two ways to do this. One of them takes several upcoming matches and compares odds with other sports bookmakers. The alternative is to consult professional sites once again and see which platforms Filipino players generally recommend. Odds can vary from one sport to another, which is why relying on expert opinion is essential.
Welcome bonuses and other promotional offers are a great way to determine if a bookmaker is taking care of its players. The competition in the Philippines is fierce, which is why many operators give big bonuses. However, welcome packages often contain two things – a deposit bonus and a free bet.
The deposit bonus will double your initial deposit (or more) by a certain amount. The incentive of free bets is self-evident – sports betting sites in the Philippines will give you the money you need to use bets on an available event. If you manage to win, you will add the earned funds to your account.
In addition to what was mentioned above, here are some other factors to consider when betting online:
First, you need to choose an online bookmaker. Opening an account in sports betting sites in the Philippines is completely free and you have no obligations to the bookmaker during the registration process, and the only criterion you must meet is that you are of legal age. As every sports betting site in the Philippines will offer something different, it is recommended to compare several sports betting sites (or open several accounts) and choose the one you like best.
When registering, it is important that you enter the correct information so that there are no problems with the payment. Also, read the rules of the bookmaker where you open an account.
The registration process for Filipino users is very simple, you enter your basic information such as name, surname, address, e-mail, mobile phone number (if you want the results to arrive on your mobile phone when you request it), and you will also have to choose the currency in which you want to place bets. You will also need to choose a username and password that allow you to access the betting account and serve for identification purposes.
After you have registered, you will receive an email with your data and a link that you must click to confirm that the data entered is correct and that you are the owner of the specified email address. After clicking on the link, the registration process is successfully completed and you can log in to your account for the first time by entering your username and password on the online sports betting site.
Choose the online sports betting site in the Philippines you are interested in – almost all of them give a bonus when registering and have their advantages. It is then up to the player to select the one that serves his/hers purposes the best.
The online betting process is very simple. Depending on the bookmaker, choose the sport or league you are interested in, then choose the bets you want to make. Then place a bet and confirm it. You can also see all concluded bets or betting slips in the archive on your betting account. The money from the winning betting tickets is automatically added to your betting account within a few minutes after the last winning game.
Every online sports betting site in the Philippines will offer several ways to deposit money into a betting account. However, before you pay money to one of the Philippine online bookmakers, you need to read the instructions on payments and withdrawals in detail. You need to pay special attention to possible commissions and options when paying money. Many bookmakers allow the payment of money only on the means of payment from which the payment was made. Also, there is the problem of commissions when paying. Some bookmakers allow an unlimited number of free payouts, while others allow free payouts only once a month. Some bookmakers charge a bank account, which is especially true for Asian countries.
Most online bookmakers require you to make your identification before payment or withdrawal, which is necessary to prevent fraud. The identification itself mainly consists of sending a scanned ID card or passport by email.
Filipino players can bet on various sports and markets in their country, due to a huge selection of sports betting sites in the Philippines. In general, Filipino players are unique when it comes to sports betting tastes, especially due to the fact that football is not the most popular sport to bet on in the Philippines. Also, bullfighting and cockfighting are incredibly popular in the Philippines and some land-based casinos will offer such bets.
But as the majority of Filipino players opt to choose casinos and sports betting sites from other countries, classic sports games are popular, such as basketball and tennis. And while Philippine culture has different tastes when it comes to betting, traditional sports betting is what you have the most in the Philippines. Therefore, the most popular sports are:
Basketball is the most popular sport to bet on in the Philippines. While in the rest of the world football is the most popular one, basketball is often the next best thing to bet on (in the Philippines the best thing) because of its fun playing style and high-scoring games, which make betting much more fun. Many Filipino bettors like basketball due to ease of play - lots of basketball odds are 50-50 (like tossing a coin).
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the most recognized professional league in the world and high school and college basketball (NCAA) in America is also gaining tremendous interest and support in the Philippines.
The Euroleague is also a popular and recognized professional basketball league, and many of its talented players have had successful careers in the NBA. The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) is the highest level professional basketball league in China and is considered one of the best leagues in all of Asia, of which the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is also a popular league. No wonder why Filipinos love to bet on basketball.
Just after basketball, tennis is among the most popular sports to bet on at sports betting sites in the Philippines. This is mainly due to the fact that tennis and basketball are incredibly similar when it comes to betting. Most of the bets are 50-50 and therefore easier to predict correctly. There are also competitions throughout the year as well so it's not uncommon for Filipino people to constantly bet on tennis.
The Philippines are known for quality eSports players, especially in the Dota 2 game. As Dota 2 has tournaments all throughout the year, betting on Dota 2 matches can be incredibly fun and profitable. Interestingly, millions of Filipinos are betting on this eSports game.
As Filipino players have a variety of bets available to them, it will be impossible to mention all of them. Instead, we will focus on the most popular bets, which are usually used for basketball and tennis matches, and which have as close to a 50-50 chance as possible.
There are different ways to bet on a basketball or tennis game. The only thing to remember is that there is no draw in these sports, and if a game goes in overtime, bookmakers will still pay you based on the final result. Here are some of the most common types of basketball/tennis betting markets:
This is the standard bet that is easy to understand. In every basketball/tennis game, there are two possible outcomes. All you have to do is pick the team/player that wins each game. When the team you choose wins your bet also wins.
Every basketball game has a handicap or line (shown as either + or -) that is useful for finding value when teams are short-priced favorites (called) or big underdogs (disadvantage). If you pick a team with a -7.5 handicap, they need to win 8 points or more to win your bet. If you pick a team with a +7.5 handicap and they lose by 7 points or less, your bet wins.
Totals (also known as Over / Under) are the combined points earned in a game. You only need to choose whether the score will exceed or fall short of the total scores offered by the bookmaker.
Player Prop betting focuses on a particular player and their performance in one or more categories such as points, rebounds, or assists. Similar to Totals, the bookmaker will set a line and you can choose whether the player will exceed or fall short of the set totals. As Filipino players love the NBA, betting on a single player to score a certain number of points is incredibly popular.
When putting several games onto one betting slip, all of your selections will be merged into a single bet. This means that the odds from all selections are multiplied by each other to create a single odd which is much higher.
While all the matches on the slip are 50-50, it is still much harder to win the whole betting slip. However, some sports betting sites in the Philippines have added the option to split the combo bet into multiple according to your selection, which Filipino players often take advantage of. This is the same with system betting.
Betting systems give the option to split your game selection into different types of single bets and combination bets. The types of systems you can place will vary depending on the number of markets included in your bet slip. Most commonly, Filipino players love taking several basketballs or tennis games and then making the betting slip into a system. This lowers the payouts but increases the chances of winning.
To summarize, Filipino bettors like simple and more winnable betting slips, mostly created with basketball and tennis matches. As single bets often won’t provide much money, systems and combinations are always popular, but nothing too extravagant. The closest to 50-50 chances, the better.
In sports betting, the odds that are shown will tell how much a player can win when betting on specific matches. In the Philippines, the standard format for displaying odds is the decimal odds type. Therefore, Filipino players should understand the following:
Due to the ease of understanding and calculation, the decimal odds system is the most commonly used one in the world. And since the Philippine gambling market is flooded with foreign bookmakers, the decimal odds system will be the most common one. Of course, due to the high impact of American-based leagues, several sites may offer fractional or American-type odds.
When betting online, odds are shown for every outcome and type of bet. That way even inexperienced bettors who are not into sports very much can easily understand who the favorite is (the lower the odds, the more likely a team will win). All that is left is for a player to create a betting slip with a combination of different bets, multiply odds, and wait for the final results.
Browse all available markets.
Not all sports betting sites in the Philippines will offer the same odds and markets. This is mainly because Filipino players use foreign betting sites and margins and markets will therefore vary. For example, not every sports betting site in the Philippines will offer a Dota 2 game, some will offer Dota 2 betting but with underwhelming odds, and some might offer all games and tournaments with great odds. Therefore it is quite important to explore different betting sites and find which sites give the best odds to the markets you are interested in.
Exploring markets will lead to better earnings as well as better enjoyment. While there are lots of markets for specific matches, you can also find markets that apply to all leagues. These are called straightforward and include markets such as teams to win the league or finish at the bottom.
When creating betting slips, you can combine different sports matches and types of bets. With some gambling sites, there may be some restrictions on what you can combine but it’s generally very flexible. If you come across some restrictions for what you want to bet on, simply choose some other sports betting sites in the Philippines.
As the competition is fierce, betting sites will offer various bonuses and promotions to both their new and regular players. As bettors from the Philippines can go with any sports betting site that accepts Filipino players, the number of different bonuses and promotions will be immense.
Understanding what such bonuses and promotions are offered, as well as the requirements for fulfilling them, is quite crucial. Bearing that in mind, here are the best bonuses and promotions that Filipino players can find.
Welcome Bonus is the most common type of bonus with which sports betting sites in the Philippines try to attract new players to register with them. This bonus applies only to players who register for the first time on an online sports betting site. If you have already registered on a site, unfortunately, you are not entitled to this type of bonus again.
This type of bonus is quite popular in Asia as there are many betting sites competing with each other. Sometimes, regional sports bookmakers give high amounts for these bonuses as they will both bring in new customers and more money.
Welcome bonuses in the Philippines can come in two ways:
When Filipino bettors make a deposit for the first time, most betting sites will reward them with a deposit bonus. Also, it can be the case that every time the bettor makes a deposit, they give him the same bonus. Everything will depend on the terms that the betting site handles.
To know more about this deposit bonus, it is a percentage. The percentage is calculated according to the money that is deposited. In addition, you may be limited to a certain amount of money. For example, a welcome bonus might be 100% of the first deposit, but that amount cannot be over $1000 (USD is a preferred currency at many Asian casinos). That way, if a bettor invests $1000, they will receive an additional $1000, but with certain requirements that should be fulfilled in order to collect the money afterward.
Bonuses without making a deposit of money are gifts that some sports betting sites in the Philippines can give without having to give anything in return. In other words, they give their players a bonus without having to make a deposit.
However, it is not as easy as it seems because these bonuses are under strong conditions for them to be released. Naturally, if betting sites simply gave away free money, they would all go bankrupt. For this reason, before accepting these bonuses it is necessary to read under what requirements they can be enjoyed. In this way, the bettor will be able to evaluate if he accepts it or not.
For both deposit and no deposit bonuses in the Philippines, the terms and conditions of using them are realistically achievable, so it is usually necessary to pay the total amount of bonus money several times at low odds, in order to be able to transfer your bonus money to a real money account.
In addition to this type of bookmakers, which offer welcome bonuses on favorable or less favorable terms, there are world-famous bookmakers that are known for giving absolutely no welcome bonuses to their players. However, these bookmakers, like the Pinnacle sports bookmaker, are so high quality in other segments that their members do not pay attention to the lack of bonuses. In the example of Pinnacle betting, these are certainly low margins, high odds, high game limits, and quality betting markets.
Free bets can be made as a welcome bonus but also as a bonus for already registered users, depending on the bookmaker in the Philippines. The rules of this type of bonus are very simple – the bookmaker gives you a certain amount of money that you can use to place a bet without spending your money. One specificity when placing bets with this type of bonus is that only the amount of profit is returned to you, while the bet given to you is not refunded. So, if you win $5 in free bets and bet on a match with odds of 1.50 and a stake of $5, after winning the bet your account will be increased by $2.5.
Although every single person wants their betting adventures to pass with as few missed betting slips as possible, sometimes it will simply happen that due to a combination of unfortunate circumstances or their own mistakes, they end up in a situation where a sports betting account is empty. It is simply an integral part of sports betting and be sure that there is no sports bookmaker who has not gone bankrupt at least once. When that happens, some of the reputable sports bookmakers will offer you a so-called Reload bonus, which will give you a certain percentage of bonus money on the second, heavier, and sometimes fourth deposit. Then, if you are smart enough, you will be able to recover some of the lost money. In this way, bookmakers force you to stay under their lap and continue betting with them. This type of bonus is not that common but a few sports betting sites in the Philippines can offer them.
In addition to these bonuses listed above, which are the most common when it comes to sports betting in the Philippines, there is the possibility of receiving other benefits from bookmakers. Namely, occasionally when big tournaments are played in popular sports, such as the World Cup, or the Olympic Games, sports bookmakers simply race to offer better promotions. Then you can enjoy a wide range of benefits, from increased odds, to games that guarantee you a refund, and even to some free bets.
During major competitions such as the World Cup or the European Football Championship and similar events, online bookmakers in the Philippines often set different conditions for receiving bonuses. We recommend that you read the rules and conditions for using the bonus well, and if something is not clear to you, contact customer service.
The most important thing is to understand what the conditions are for bonuses, whether it is available for the country you come from, etc. Lately, many bookmakers are canceling bonuses for players that are coming from foreign countries. It does not necessarily mean that this is the case with the bookmaker you have chosen, but still, be careful and inquire a lot before deciding to spend money on betting.
Sometimes, if the bookmaker you like does not have a bonus for new users in their offer, you may try to open an account and not pay anything. In the next few days, log out and sign up several times and send their customer support team an email regarding bonus services. This way you will let them know that you are interested in betting with their bookmaker, i.e. that you have opened an account, and in order to keep you, it is very possible that the bookmaker will make a special offer just for you when it comes to bonuses. You may receive several free bets or have an additional amount of money in your account.
As players from the Philippines can enjoy various betting options, they can enjoy various payment options at such sites as well. The right choice of the banking method can be crucial in the long run as the withdrawal fees and processing times can greatly make an impact on your profits. Luckily, Filipino players have great options, and the most popular options are listed below, as well as their specifications for online betting.
✅ Debit Cards – A debit card is a card with which you can spend exactly as much money as you have on your account (on the card) and, unlike credit cards, you cannot go into the red (which is great when gambling addiction is about to show up). The debit card can be obtained by anyone who opens a foreign currency account in the bank in the desired currency and it is not necessary to have a permanent job or any other condition. The only condition is that you are of legal age, which is again important for betting houses.
✅ Credit cards – Credit cards can be used for payments to online bookmakers, but payment can only be made on Visa, Master, and Maestro credit cards. The biggest advantage of credit cards is that they are – credit. You do not have to have money in your account to bet, but you can bet on credit, i.e. you pay the money you are currently using for betting with your card account next month.
✅ Skrill / Moneybookers – Skrill / Moneybookers, popularly called electronic wallet (e-wallet) is an online service for sending and receiving money online, for secure online shopping, and is most popular in online betting because it has an option to be used for both payments and withdrawals online bookmakers. Sending money is done by simply entering your email address.
✅ Neteller – Neteller is an excellent online service for easy and secure electronic money transfers on the Internet. It is very similar to Skrill / Moneybookers because both services work on the same principle. In the beginning, they were tied only to the American market, now they are more and more popular in the rest of the world, Asia included.
✅ Bank Transfers – Bank transfer is one of the ways to send and receive money around the world and can be used for sports betting in the Philippines. This is the slowest and most complicated way to transfer money to an online bookmaker. Payment by bank transfer usually takes 3-5 business days. In order to be able to use this method of payment and withdrawal of money from your betting account in one of the online sports betting sites in the Philippines, you must have a foreign currency account.
✅ Paysafecard – Paysafecard is a prepaid card (similar to a voucher, top-up for a mobile phone) used for online payments. It is very well accepted by online bookmakers in Asia. It has become popular due to the fact that its use does not require leaving any data on the Internet. It can be purchased in denominations of 10, 25, 50, and 100 USD.
✅ PayPal – PayPal is considered to be one of the most popular online deposit methods used in online casinos. A few years ago, it was decided to withdraw the method of payment from the casino market due to the fact that the legal situation is still unclear.
However, PayPal now seems to be returning to the gambling and online casino market. Once the payment method was approved to be accepted in sports betting sites in the Philippines, it became one of the most desirable payment platforms. The legal regime seems to follow very strict guidelines when it comes to allowing a casino to accept deposits made using PayPal.
✅ Apple Pay – Apple Pay has become a particularly popular choice for internet casino and betting site users. It is secure, convenient, and anonymous, which means that, unlike debit cards, payments on the gambling site do not appear on your regular bank statement. For this reason, others may be considering adopting a payment method and wondering if this is the right choice for them.
Bank Transfer
Visa & Mastercard
Paysafecard
ApplePay
Neteller
Paypal
Skrill
What Is the Best Payment Option for Filipino Players?
eWallets are often the best choice for online Whenever a good e-wallet option is present, it should be welcomed with open arms. E-wallets are fast, safe, and reliable - everything a Filipino gambler needs.due to low fees and fast processing times. However, some credit cards, such as Visa and MasterCard, also offer similar conditions, based on the betting site.
Gambling in the Philippines is legal although with certain restrictions. The list of restrictions is ever so growing, so be sure to stay informed.
Gambling online in the Philippines is safe. Gambling is legal, there is a government body that regulates online gambling, and when done properly and legally, gambling online is very safe.
Just like gambling, sports betting is safe in the Philippines, either online or at physical betting services.
Deposit limits will depend entirely upon the betting site and preferred payment method. For example, bank transfers have a 10 USD bottom limit and a 2,500 USD top limit for deposits.
There is a 5% tax on betting and gambling in the Philippines and therefore it must be reported.
Withdrawal processing periods vary and depend on both betting sites and payment methods. Usually, the latter one is what makes the most impact. E-wallets usually have immediate payouts.
As Filipino bettors can access a variety of betting sites, choosing one is impossible, especially as each player seeks something different. Therefore, the best betting site will be the one that offers good bonuses and promotions, betting odds, markets, and suits the player’s needs.
Players from the Philippines can access various betting sites and therefore bet on various sports.
The most popular sports to bet on in the Philippines are basketball, tennis, and eSports. Football and martial arts come close as well.
Generally, most sports betting sites in the Philippines offer decimal betting odds but there are some that offer fractional as well.
Free Bets are possible to find in the Philippines although they are not that common,
The sign-up, or Welcome bonus, can be collected in two ways – either immediately upon registration, or after the first deposit. It will depend on a betting house.
The country doesn’t have many solutions to a gambling addiction but there are some institutions that offer help, such as Gamblers Anonymous, Bridges of Hope, and Life Change Recovery Center.
🔎 Looking for casino sites? Here are the best casino sites in the Philippines.
