Portuguese Online Betting Guide & Legal Sportbooks 2024

2024‘s Top 8 Portuguese Betting Sites Compared & Ranked

There are hundreds of online sports betting sites across the Internet and it can be quite hard and time-consuming to pick a proper gambling operator. That is why we have done all the research for you and we have listed only the best online gambling providers in Portugal. In the following review, we will concentrate on the top online sports betting sites available to bet online in Portugal. We will tell you all about the payment methods, speak about the available features and markets and explain the conditions of the welcome bonus packages at the best betting sites in Portugal.

Summary of 2024‘s Best Portuguese Betting Sites

The nation of Portugal surely has a lot of love and passion for all kinds of sports. Football definitely tops the list, but there are many other sports that enjoy huge popularity on the territory of the country. And as we all know, sports and sports betting go hand in hand. That’s why having a good list of Portuguese betting sites is very important for PT punters.

But the pure availability of online PT bookmakers is not enough. The sites must be legal and safe to play at, and must provide punters with many wagering opportunities, along with alluring bonus offers and top-notch customer service. Finding such PT online bookies can prove to be a very frustrating and time-consuming task. That’s why our team of industry experts has put in the work and has managed to handpick the truly best sports betting sites in Portugal.

Our guide for the best online betting sites in Portugal will provide you with all the important information in order to have a pleasant and hopefully profitable time when betting on sports online.

We will not only evaluate the provided services and betting markets at the best betting sites in Portugal, but we also give you some wagering tips and recommendations. Keep on reading and start your exciting online betting journey on the right foot with this informative guide about the best betting sites in Portugal.

We Feature Only Legal and Licensed Sites

All sports betting activities in Portugal have been run exclusively by the Santa Casa de Misericordia de Lisboa (SCML) since 1961. Most of the profits were used to fund social programs to help the elderly and children in the Lisbon area. Until a couple of years ago, the market was closed to foreign operators in favour of the government-supported monopoly. In 2015 new gambling laws were introduced and opened up the sports wagering market to international sports betting sites. Licences were given only to those bookmakers, which have demonstrated fairness and reliability.

We have made our top picks for the best betting sites in Portugal after we thoroughly examined the bookies and concluded that they are not only full of special features and gratifying odds but are also safe and legal. Our suggested PT sportsbooks hold licences from various gambling commissions, which are impossible to acquire if there is something fishy in the way the sportsbooks operate.

Placing wagers at fully licensed and legal sportsbooks guarantee your safety and ensure the authenticity of the markets, games and odds. Another good sign for a sportsbook is the availability of sponsorships and partners. Being allowed to represent world-famous sports teams speaks well for the bookie and re-confirms the reliability of the platform.

Live Betting

The sports betting industry has changed drastically over the last couple of decades. While some things have stayed the same, everything else is nearly unrecognisable compared to the way it was before. We have the internet to thank for that. The introduction of in-play betting, aka live betting, has completely changed the way punters place their sports wagers. This is one of the best ways to bet on sports, as it can greatly improve your chances of making accurate predictions.

Even if you have made extensive research about a particular sports event and you have reached a conclusion about the game’s final result, you can never predict with certainty how the sports event will unfold. Being able to watch the football game, for example, and see how the teams are playing, gives you a much more reliable judgment on what the final score will be.

Of course, all of our recommended best sports betting sites in Portugal will provide you with live-betting markets. From the time a particular sports event starts, until its very end, you will be able to place various bets, while watching how the game is going. Having a stable internet connection is crucial for this sort of betting. The odds are constantly changing and just in a blink of an eye, the whole game can change drastically if a particular situation happens. Being able to place a bet on your favourite team, right after they have conceded a goal, is one of the most used and profitable strategies for this kind of wagering.

Cash-Out – Should I or Shouldn’t I?

The extasy or the agony of a last-minute goal. There isn’t a bet online Portugal fan that hasn’t felt those feelings when waiting for a football match to end. Since the introduction of the cash-out option, nearly every single reputable online sportsbook has incorporated this feature. This way, you have the option to settle your bets early and cut your losses or lock in a profit. Similar to the famous questioning phrase by William Shakespeare “to be or not to be”, the cash-out feature brings up the question “should I or shouldn’t I”.

It is a tough question, we admit it. A lot of punters use statistics to navigate to a decision. But in the end, the most important thing is your mindset. Are you willing to go all the way and experience those last minutes on edge or are you the kind of player who will take any profit that you can get, not blinded by greed?

Don’t think that by accepting the early cash out you will save yourself from the emotions. A last-minute goal can still result in raging feelings, from frustration (why did I cash out so early?) to smugness (I knew it!). Anyway, the very fact that all of our suggested PT online bookies offer the cash-out option, even with extra features like the partial cash out and the auto cash out, speaks well enough for the operators. The control is in your hands and hopefully, you will be able to enjoy this useful (and kind of devilish) feature to the fullest.

Welcome Bonuses for Portuguese Gamblers

Nowadays, with the intense competition between the best online betting sites, you might find it a bit hard to discover a sportsbook that doesn’t offer a welcome bonus to bet online in Portugal. Luring in new customers is crucial for an online gambling provider and one of the best ways to do so is by an attractive first deposit bonus. Each one of our selected sports betting sites has some sort of a first deposit bonus. This will double up your bankroll from the very beginning and you will be able to place larger bets and feel more serene regarding your bank management.

The bonus will be credited to your account automatically after your first deposit has been made. The minimum bonus is just €10, which makes the promotion affordable to a wide spectrum of players. In order to make the bonus money and any winnings withdrawable, you will have to wager the received amount 5 times. A slightly rough condition is that you have to make only accumulator bets with minimum 3 selections, each one with minimum odds of 1.40 or higher. The validity period is 30 days, so you won’t have to rush to fulfill the wagering conditions.

The other PT sportsbooks that are listed in our top picks for sports betting sites in Portugal also have alluring welcome bonuses. Regardless of it is a deposit match bonus, a free bet offer or some kind of an odds boost, welcome bonuses can be very helpful to players with less experience. But remember always to read the full terms and conditions of a welcome bonus or any other promotion. Our recommended top Portuguese betting sites are all legal to play at and have nothing to hide, but still, you should be fully aware of the terms and requirements of a bonus.

Like Playing on the Go?

It is totally understandable that more than 70% of all sports bets are made through a mobile device. Nowadays, every punter has a smartphone and finds it a lot more comfortable to place bets on the go. All 5 of our recommended top sports betting sites in Portugal have truly outstanding applications. They are all free to download and are compatible with nearly every single modern portable device.

Of course, the so-called web-based applications are also available, allowing you to reach the sports platforms through your preferred web browser without downloading anything. We definitely recommend you check out the Unibet sports application. After all, Unibet is one of the long-time leaders in the online gambling industry. The app is very user-friendly and you will be able to enjoy all the features of the sportsbooks, regardless of your destination.

Sports Betting Markets Available to Portuguese Punters

The diversity of sports in our 5 picks for top PT sportsbooks is truly outstanding. You will be able to place your bets on nearly every single popular sport known to man. Football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, boxing, rugby, darts, cycling, horse riding, handball, Gaelic sports, ice hockey, MMA, UFC, tennis, snooker and many more sports are available. Having such a huge list of options is very important for the players. A proper punter rarely is interested in just a single sport.

Many punters like having the choice to switch to a different sport, especially when they are on a bad streak. Every single major sports event is covered, so you will have the chance to bet on the biggest sports leagues and games through the entire year – Champions League, NBA, PGA, NFL, World Cup Finals, European Championships, ATP, Darts World Grand Prix and many many more. Have a look at the list of available sports at the best betting sites in Portugal.

Most Popular Sports in Portugal

It is no surprise that nearly 90% of the nation is watching football. After all, the greatest player of all time is Portuguese. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro has given so much to his country that he is considered a national hero and probably the greatest Portuguese ever. He was the main force at the last European Championship and he helped his team win their first-ever title from a major football championship.

The Portuguese football academies have produced a lot more incredible football players, such as Eusebio and Luis Figo (both winners of the FIFA Ballon d’Or), Ricardo Quaresma, Nani, Rui Costa, Bernardo Silva and more. The latest Portuguese football star who have caught the eyes of the football world is Joao Felix, who is expected to follow in the footsteps of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo. Of course, there are other sports that the Portuguese enjoy to watch and bet on, especially when there aren’t any football events. Tennis, basketball, handball, motorsports, rink hockey, American football and futsal (not a big surprise here) are among the other most followed and played sports in the country.

eSports Betting Markets

Betting markets are available all the time and whenever there is some kind of championships and tournaments the number rises drastically. DFS is gaining more and more popularity all over the world and, of course, Portugal makes no exception.

Bet Types Selection

Becoming a winning sports bettor is definitely not an easy task at the best online betting sites in Portugal. Finding the right game, the right market and the right odds is not very simple. Of course, if all you care about is having fun, then you can bet however and whatever you like. But in case you want to become more profitable and have serious intentions about your sports betting, then you have to look for the most beneficial markets and odds.

The bet types selection at our recommended top sports betting sites in Portugal is truly tremendous. Usually, there are between 100 and 400 available markets for a single football game, depending on the teams that play. You can bet on literally everything that can happen during a game – throw-ins, corners, cards, goalscorers, substitutions, offsides, penalties and more. Correct scores, half time-full time results, handicaps and Asian handicaps and wincasts are also available at our recommended sportsbooks.

Every sports betting player has his own preferences about the number of games that he likes to put on the same bet slip. Singles, doubles and triple bets are probably the most popular but not the most rewarding. Making accumulator bets and betting systems with multiple columns significantly raises the total odds and you have a chance for a profit even if some of your selections don’t win. It is not necessary to include games just from one sport in your betslip, as you can combine multiple sports, leagues and competitions.

Profit Margins

An important factor for most of the experienced sports bettors is the profit margin of the platform. In case you don’t know what actually a profit margin is, don’t worry as we will give you an explanation. A profit margin is the amount charged by the sportsbook to take your bet. When the official odds are set for a particular sports event, every sportsbook adjusts these odds in order to gain a profit, regardless of the outcome. The higher the profit margin is, the bigger is the amount charged by the bookmaker to take your bet. Normally, punters consider anything under 10% as a good margin.

In the table above, we have compared the odds for one of the biggest football games in Portugal – Benfica vs. Porto, in order to establish the profit margins of the best betting sites in Portugal. You can see that the profit margins are low and actually, you will find a hard time finding other sportsbooks with even smaller percentages. Have in mind that these figures change for different sports and different games, so they can drop even further down or slightly raise, but for most of the sports events, they won’t go over 10-12%.

The Highest Odds for Football Leagues

As we said earlier in our review, the most popular sport at PT sportsbooks is football. Portuguese punters love to place their bets on games from the top divisions in Europe – Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, League 1 and of course Primeira Liga. Each one of our recommended Portuguese betting sites will provide you with decent odds for these leagues. On top of that, some of the best PT online bookies have the really useful feature “Bet Builder”, which allows you to combine multiple selections from the same game and raise the total odds of your bet. Statistics for the games are also available at most websites, granting you access to the Head-to-Head history, the expected lineups, the recent results and the player stats.

The Highest Odds for Tennis

If we put aside the football bets, then the next most popular sport for betting in Portugal probably is tennis. Even though Portugal does not have world-famous tennis players, the Portuguese like to watch the best athletes in the world compete. One of the greatest rivalries in the world of tennis – Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer is followed passionately and punters don’t miss the chance to place a wager on their favourite. Again, the difference in the odds in our selected sportsbooks is very small.

Available Payment Methods

Turning our attention to the payment methods available for Portuguese punters, we can see that there is an abundance of options. The most popular banking options like Visa and Mastercard are accepted everywhere, as well as the well-known e-wallets Skrill and Neteller. Unibet definitely wins our admirations as the sportsbook offers many payment methods, which is quite impressive. The minimum allowed deposit there is just €5. The deposits happen instantly nearly every time, with some exceptions when you have to wait a couple of minutes.

After you successfully bet online in Portugal, the time comes for your first withdrawal (hopefully it will be soon after your first deposit) you have to use a method that you already used for depositing funds at Portugal’s best online betting sites. Your account has to be fully verified and even if you have sent some documents for the verification process when making the account, further documents may be required. After you successfully verify your identity and bank details, your withdrawal request will be approved and the next time you wish to cash out funds from your account, you will only have to enter the amount and payment method.

Normally, cashing out to your bank accounts or debit and credit cards will take from 2 to 6 working days. If you are using an e-wallet then the transaction period is between 1 and 3 days (it is possible the transaction to be completed in a few hours). The minimum allowed amount to cash out varies depending on the preferred payment method and the selected sportsbook.

Conclusion

Well, it is time for us to wrap it up and give our final verdict for the best betting sites in Portugal for 2024. Our recommended sites have proven themselves in the online gambling industry and all of them will provide you with fantastic services and delightful odds. We definitely think that Betway is a few steps in front of the competition as the sportsbook has been on top of the industry for quite some time now. We certainly like how user-friendly the layout is, compared to other online bookies. The welcome bonus may not be that alluring, but still, if you use it smartly you will be rewarded generously.

The best advice that we can give you is to make registrations with all 5 recommended sports betting sites in Portugal. Not only you will be able to take advantage of all the welcome packages, but you will also be capable to regularly compare the odds and decide for yourself which platform suits your preferences the most. In case you are interested in other types of gambling, then you can check out our devoted reviews for all sorts of online gambling in Portugal.

Portugal Sports Betting FAQ’s

When PT sportsbooks are involved, there are a lot of questions that you can come across or can just be a natural sequence to the information you’ve read above. That’s why we’ve gathered some of the most important ones below, so make sure to check them out: