Gambling has been a pastime activity in Asia for centuries and games like baccarat and craps have been popular in the area since the 1400s. When it comes to Asian bookies, there are some notable differences compared to international sportsbooks. Asian bettors favour 2-way markets such as Asian Handicaps and Totals or sports like cockfighting, badminton and sepak takraw. Moreover, end-to-end Asian bookmakers don’t limit winning accounts, ask for fewer documents and have more relaxed restrictions. Lately, many international players prefer the SE Asian bookies as they can benefit from huge betting limits that can reach 6-digits on top European leagues and extremely high odds. Asian Bookmakers List There are several criteria you need to have in mind before selecting your ideal Asian bookie or an International one that offers these types of bets. You have to evaluate the number of handicaps and over/under lines, as well as the odds and limits. Bettors residing in the region should also consider the level of localization in sports, languages, and local currencies. We have reviewed and listed the top sportsbooks offering Asian bets in the table below. Which Asian Betting Markets are Popular Sports betting has been a large part of the Asian gambling culture for many years now. Even though you will find the traditional WDW and Correct Score options, most players in the continent prefer 2-way betting types. The most popular markets are Asian Handicaps, Totals, Cards and Corners. Asian Handicaps AH is a 2-way market, where the possibility of the draw is eliminated and each team is given a virtual advantage or disadvantage. Depending on the strength of the teams, the underdog will be given a goal advantage, like + + or + Some bookmakers such as Bet365 display the quarter markets like as You can gain a deeper understanding in our guide about Asian Handicap Bookmakers. Asian Totals The logic is similar to the traditional Over/Under. You have to predict if more or fewer goals will be scored than the given line. The difference in Asian betting, though, is that there are quarter and integer values as well. For example, if you bet on Over Total Goals, your bet will be split equally between and This means that if only one goal is scored, you will win half the bet, while the other half will be a push. For more details, you should refer to our Asian Handicap Over Under guide. Asian Cards & Corners Besides the Hcap and Totals, players in Asian bookmakers also like to wager on Card and Corner markets. Again the underdog will start the game with a virtual advantage over the favourite. For example, if you back on Real Madrid to beat with the Corner Handicap against Barcelona, it means that your bet wins if Real ends up with at least two more Corners than their opponents. How to Choose the Top Asia Bookies The initial thing to ask yourself is if you need an end-to-end Asian Bookie or an International Sportsbook offering Asian betting markets. You have to make sure that your bookmaker offers odds on all the local sports and markets you like to bet on. For example, if you want to bet on Muay Thai and MMA, 1xbet is an excellent option, while for cockfighting, you might have to look for a different, more local bookie. Another crucial aspect to consider is the level of localization. Betting on your currency, offering your native language and having local payment options available is critical. For instance, K9win in Malaysia provides a website in Malaysian, has the Malay odds format available, and players can perform transactions via local banks like OCBC and CIMB. Last but not least, you should evaluate the types of promotions at hand. Whether you want rebate offers, cashback or other loyalty rewards, your chosen Asian bookmaker must include them on the Offers Page. Where do European and Asian Betting Sites differ You can identify an Asian bookmaker immediately just by looking at the website’s interface. The use of numbers, colours, dancing images and videos are all indicators of an Asian bookie. Moreover, players prefer to wager on less popular sports, like cockfighting and MMA and are used to different odds formats and promotions. Asian Bookies Countries ⏩ Just because you hear the phrase Asian bookies’, it does not mean that we are talking about every nation on the continent. Players from India, Japan, and Pakistan prefer international gambling sites. End-to-end Asian sportsbooks are considered the ones that target Southeast Asia, and more specifically, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Burma, Laos and Cambodia. Sports & Markets ⏩ Asian bookies do not provide dozens of sports to the users. European bookmakers usually have 25-35 sports and hundreds of markets available for betting. In an Asian bookmaker, you will find 15 sports at most. In addition, the focus is on less popular events. Besides football and table tennis, which are top options everywhere, players in each country prefer specific sports. Cockfighting, which is the national sport in Thailand, and second only to football, is very popular in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam as well. Sepak takraw, a form of kick volleyball, is also among the favourites, especially in Malaysia and Thailand. Finally, badminton, martial arts and other types of fighting sports, namely Muay Thai in Thailand and Pencak Silat in Indonesia, are top choices for Asian betting. Asian Odds ⏩ There are three popular odds formats that you must have encountered while betting online. Decimal, mainly used in Europe, fractional, prominent in the UK and America. However, there are three other less-known that are called Asian Odds formats 1 Hong Kong The odds are similar to the decimal but are only used to calculate the profit, so they do not include the stake. If you bet €10 on odds, you will win €15. 2 Indo They are a hybrid between American and Hong Kong Odds. They have a positive value that represents the underdog and a negative for the favourite. If you bet €10 on odds, you stand to win €20. 3 Malay They are also split into positive and negative values. The positive is similar to the HK ones, but the negative differs. You have to divide the stake by the odds to determine your winnings. For example, if you bet €10 on odds, you will win €20 10/ Since they target specific audiences, Asian bookies all have the last three odds formats available. Let’s take a closer look at how all six types of odds are presented on an online bookmaker for the 1x2 market in the Chelsea vs Everton match in the EPL Odds Type 1 X 2 Decimal Fractional 74/125 159/50 57/10 American -169 +318 +570 Hong Kong Indonesian Malaysian Website Interface ⏩ The layout of the website is characterized by razzmatazz. This is one of the easiest ways to spot an Asian bookie. While a traditional bookmaker’s website is usually pretty straightforward and direct, Asia bookies are trying to draw immediate attention. There are many colours, dancing images, buttons you can press to get rewards, and even videos that explain the company's mission. In addition, you will also see the use of certain numbers. In Chinese culture, some numbers are considered lucky and others unlucky. For example, number 4, which sounds like the word death’ is always avoided. And this is not limited to betting. In elevators, ID and phone numbers, or license plates it is omitted. On the other hand, numbers 2,3,6 and 8 are thought to bring good fortune. The 8’, in particular, means wealth and is used by many sites. Multiples of eight are even better, this is why you see websites like W88 or Fun88. What's more, many sites are considered among the best mobile bookmakers due to the dedicated applications they have developed. Higher Limits ⏩ If you have been betting long enough in European bookies, you must have heard that betting accounts are very quickly limited. These limits can either be betting max bet allowed €10 or even winning. Asian bookmakers do not follow the mindset of restricting winning players. Their power is in the extremely high betting limits. There are gambling sites, such as Pinnacle and Dafabet, that allow bettors to wager 5- or even 6-digit sums in specific events. As they target high-volume players, Asian betting sites also have high deposit and withdrawal limits. Types of Promotions ⏩ Depending on your wagering style, you are going after brands that offer specific promotions. For instance, UK punters prefer Free Bets, while European players Enhanced Odds and big Welcome Bonuses. When it comes to Asians, where the limits and odds are very high, users are better off receiving Offers like Cashback and Rakeback. VIP and Loyalty Programs are also in high demand. This is why the best Asian bookmakers reward the most devoted users by giving them some of the losses back in cash. Is Sports Betting in Asia Legal Due to all the gambling prohibitions, a huge black market exists in Asia. Many local websites still operate on an agent model and work on credit. Countries like China, Indonesia, or South Korea, have banned online gambling altogether. Others still do not have clear laws about betting online. In Singapore, the Singapore Pools’ is a legal monopoly and the only licensed operator. Online bookies are not technically illegal, but the websites are often blocked by ISP providers. In Thailand, gambling is also not legal, but many players use VPN software to bet online. Do Asia Bookies hold European Licenses? Due to the popularity of Asian betting, many sportsbooks have successfully infiltrated the European market, even in countries with established bookmakers. Betting companies such as Dafabet and 888sport have acquired UKGC licenses and accept players from the UK. Due to the high limits and the fact that winning accounts are not limited, many punters elect to switch to Asian betting sites. The competition is not confined to the United Kingdom, of course. New betting sites from the continent are also trying to expand in other highly regulated markets. M88 can now be accessed from Spain, while Swedish bettors can bet online at 22bet. Which Asian Bookies sponsor European Leagues Jersey sponsorships from betting companies have become a norm in the sports world, especially in football. In the 2020-21 season, the 20 teams in the English Premier League received $ million in sponsorships just from gambling sites. Interestingly, though, only three of the bookies that sponsor an EPL team are licensed in the UK. Most of the Premier League betting sponsors, such as Fun88 Newcastle, Dafabet Norwich, and W88 Aston Villa, are Asian sportsbooks. This shows what the power of Asian bookies is, being able to infiltrate an industry as big as the EPL. Of course, this is not a phenomenon just in the UK. Big teams have partnered with Asian betting sites across the world. Borussia Dortmund is the official partner of Sbobet, while M88 is La Liga’s new partner for the Asian market. What else should I check with Asian Bookies? Besides the sports offering, there are many other areas worth mentioning when talking about Asian betting sites. Whether we are talking about an end-to-end Asia bookie or one that just offers Asian bets, it is interesting to note how to perform transactions, what betting platforms they use, and why they sponsor the world's major events. How to fund your Asian Bookmaker Account The payment options you will have available to deposit or withdraw from your Asian betting account majorly depend on your residence country. Crypto payments have gained a very high acceptance, while cards are also very popular. Besides, local bank transfers and mobile payments are a definite advantage for bookmakers that provide them. In China, Asian betting sites offer players the possibility to perform transactions via UnionPay and mobile options such as Alipay, WeChat, and QQPay. In Thailand, bookies will accept payments with TrueMoney and PromptPay, while in Singapore, via Maybank and eNets. On the other hand, in Malaysia, PayTrust88 and Help2pay are very common. Which Betting Platforms do Asian Betting Sites use When they launch a new site, international bookmakers usually select between two options. Either they use third-party software to create their website or build a platform in-house. On the other hand, it is a trend for Asia bookies to integrate the odds feed from 3rd party sportsbooks, like SBO, IBC, and AFB, into their own websites. Many brands offer several sports betting platforms. 1 SBO It is probably the most renowned Asian sportsbook, which suits high-roller bettors the most. The odds on AH are extremely high and you can bet up to €100,000 on certain options. You can also follow the market trend and see which lines have gone up and down. 2 IBC Also known as Maxbet, IBCBET also has very low margins and is ideal for parlay betting Asian Handicaps. It has the status of a Super Master Agent because it provides the opportunity to wager via betting agents. What stands out is that IBC allows the transfer of funds among the online bookmakers it cooperates with. 3 AFB It contains few sports, compared to international bookmakers, but still provides an excellent variety of options for football, Muay Thai, and cockfighting. It focuses a lot on localization, offering several languages and local currencies, and mainly targets players from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. 4 Besides these three established platforms, there are others that follow the same norm of appearing in numerous sportsbooks. For example, recently, the Pinnacle Solutions sports betting offering was integrated into Vbet. Other popular platforms that appear on multiple Asian betting sites include IM Sports, SBC, WBet, and BTI. A Final Thought about Asian Bookmakers As you can see, there are many things you should consider before engaging in Asian betting. Bookmakers in Asia differ a lot from international ones. The website layout, the odds formats, the available markets, payment methods, and sports are all different. Betting on Asian bookies suits professional players best for two reasons. First, the betting, deposit, and winning limits, as well as the odds, are incredibly high. Secondly, the nature of Asian bets is very confusing and requires a lot of knowledge to be able to grasp it in depth. It is not something an amateur player can accomplish easily. On the other hand, Asian bookmakers offer, on average, fewer markets both for pre-match and live betting and fewer sports than European sportsbooks. Of course, global bookies, like Bet365 and William Hill, provide excellent Asian bet options and are a great choice to combine traditional and Asian betting. If you are a high roller or a crypto player, then an Asian bookie is an excellent option for you. If you just want to bet on Asian Handicaps, just choose an International sportsbook that offers them. Full Asian Bookmakers List Now that you know everything there is about Asia bookies, it is time to choose where to place your bets. Underneath, you can find the whole list of betting sites with Asian bets, ranked by the sports offering. Q Is it legal to bet online in Asia? Like any other region in the world, online gambling in each of the countries in Asia is engulfed with different laws and regulations. Sportsbooks only accept players from specific countries. For example, countries like China and South Korea have banned online betting completely, while Indonesia has a gambling monopoly. Q How do Asian odds work? Besides the traditional decimal, fractions, and American odds formats, there are also three other types popular in Asia. Hong Kong odds are similar to the decimal odds. On the other hand, Malay and Indonesian odds have positive and negative values like the US odds. Q What are the most popular sports at Asian betting sites? Obviously, football is the most popular sport for betting in almost every part of the globe. However, players from Southeast Asia favor sports other than basketball, tennis, or US sports for secondary betting options. Cockfighting is very big in Malaysia and Singapore, and fighting sports like MMA and Muay Thai are also very well-liked. Q How can I choose an Asian bookmaker? There are several things you need to consider before selecting an Asia bookie. First and foremost, you have to find a site with all the sports you are interested in. In addition, it is more beneficial to wager on bookies with many alternative Asian betting markets. Finally, picking a sportsbook that offers several promotions that suit you is also positive. Q What is Asian betting? Asian betting differs from traditional online gambling because bookmakers in Asia have a different odds format and provide other markets in Asian handicaps. Besides, the sites' outline is not the same as in Europe. With more images, colors, and buttons you can press that creates a razzmatazz.