Arab Sports Betting

Is gambling legal in Qatar?

Although gambling is not an activity that is approved by the government of Qatar, access to online sports betting is fairly easy. As one of the most progressive nations in the region and the home of news agencies like Al-Jazeera, the Communications Regulatory Authority for the State of Qatar does not block access to betting providers like some other GCC nations block this content for their residents. While the government is not interested in building casinos for the increase in tourism it could provide, they are not interested in punishing ex-patriot residents or native Qataris for partaking in a relatively harmless vice, since online betting can take place in private and is widely accepted by western societies. After all, there is a strong history of horse racing in Qatar and perhaps unofficially, the wagering that goes along with it, at the highest levels of society within the country.

Qatar online sports betting: the wider context

Further to the above, Qatar is highly interested in investments in sport. The largest investment includes the hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They also look to raise the profile of their nation and their state-owned companies through various marketing relationships including a past long-term shirt sponsorship of FC Barcelona for Qatar Airways. Qatar-based BeInSports has been a key broadcast partner for many top football leagues for broadcast distribution of matches into many regions around the world, not only the Middle East. Like it or not, much of the interest to which Qatar is tapping into is related to wagering. People around the world are of course interested in sport, but a large proportion of those watching are also wagering on the events. Qatar wants to have their brand in front of all of these people.

Perhaps their longest-term investment in sport has come through the Qatar acquisition of Ligue 1 football club Paris St. Germain. It is this investment that actually receives a direct benefit from online sports betting. PSG has many corporate partners, and one of these is the Swedish gaming brand Unibet (noted above), which is regulated for play in many European and American markets, in addition to their international service. It could be perceived as being hypocritical and counter-productive to take a restrictive stance on sports betting within Qatar given these investments and corporate relationships. Customers from Qatar may register and play at Unibet, among several Qatar sports betting sites.

Choosing the right betting site from Qatar

When it comes to selecting the right sports betting site from Qatar, it comes down to preference. If you feel comfortable playing in English, you will have significantly greater choice of sites, no matter your preferences or points of focus. If you require or heavily prefer to bet in Arabic, BetVictor offers an Arabic betting site for their customers to use. All of the listed companies offer their services in English also.

If you think that you will use your mobile phone to bet on sports as you move around the country and abroad and want the best mobile betting, understand that each of these betting sites has invested to develop fast and intuitive mobile sites that you will be able to access via your mobile web browser.

Qatar online sports betting site banking methods

Each betting site that serves Qatar supports different methods for payment. Credit cards are available at all these sites. Given the progressive nature toward online sports betting when done in private from Qatar, you do not need to worry about using your local payment method with these betting sites. However, if you prefer to have more privacy, you can use an intermediate payment solution like an e-wallet, prepaid card or Bitcoin.

EcoPayz, Skrill, Neteller and MuchBetter are e-wallets that you may use for sports betting from Qatar. You simply register, then link a credit card or bank account. This way your payments and withdrawals are not done directly to the online bookmaker. The first three of these can be used from your web browser. MuchBetter is a mobile app e-wallet that you may download from the app store. paysafecard is a prepaid solution that essentially allows you to pay in cash online and can be used at betting sites. These cards may not yet be available in Qatar, but are widely available in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt.

Ideally you will use the same currency for both the payment solution and your betting site account. This will minimize any currency exchange fees associated with your play.

Rank

Qatar Bookies

Notable points of interest Qatari bettors

Dedicated Arab bonus. Amazing ‘The Ten Club’ for VIPs. Solid odds. Elegant interface. Early cash out. Horses + Casinos.

Review or Visit

Find the best Qatar betting sites - Online bookmakers that serve Qatar in 2022.

Established

2003

2000

Perhaps the best interface. Early cash out feature. Football Bet Builder. Horses, Casinos, Poker, Bingo & more.

1998

PSG partner. Bonus offer. Excellent platform. Cash out + competitive odds. Horses, Poker, Casinos, Bingo + more.

Qatar Bookmaker Bonuses

Online Bookies with Qatari Riyal (QAR) sports betting site accounts

Betway does support QAR betting accounts. Most online bookmakers support a relatively small collection of currencies to be used for your betting account. Most of these are European and American currencies. With most sites, you must select which of these you would like to use for your account when you register, and it cannot be changed. When you deposit, your riyals will be exchanged for an amount in the betting account currency. For ease of banking, it is likely best that you set USD as your account currency as it is most compatible for you, but GBP and EUR may also work for you depending on the method you choose.

If interested, you may see the current exchange rates for the Qatari Riyal versus the top online bookmaker currencies here: QAR to USD and QAR to EUR.

2006

Largest Qatar bonus. Excellent interface. Early cash out. QAR accounts. West Ham sponsor. Horses, Casinos + more.

What sports are available to bet on at these sites from Qatar?

Just about anything you like, really. If you wish to bet on the Qatar Stars League, you will be able to do so at all of the above betting sites. This is also the case for all the top football leagues across the Middle East region. International events that are held locally, whether they be European club friendlies, ATP or WTA events or otherwise, they will also of course be available to you. Beyond these you will find excellent coverage of the most popular European football leagues, as well as American sports like the NFL and NBA. Tennis, golf and others are also a given. The number of betting markets, or ways you may bet on these events are more varied than ever before, including live and in-play.

Do these Qatar sports betting sites offer other types of online gambling ?

Yes, most of them do offer other types of gaming verticals from within the same account and login. However, the availability of gaming categories varies between providers. If you are interested to play online and live casino games such as blackjack, baccarat, roulette or slots with a wide array of variations of these games, they are available at all companies that we list above. When it comes to playing within an online poker room against other real people, or online bingo also against real people, your options are fewer, as these game types require a large customer base to be online at any given time. No one wants access to a poker room that has only a few tables and players. For access to online poker and bingo in addition to casino and sport betting from the same account, your best options are bet365 and Unibet. If you have interest in reading more information on these other gaming types, you can read about Qatar casino sites for a far more detailed analysis on the issue.

Do any of these Qatar betting sites offer a website in Arabic?

Yes. BetVictor has recently moved to become a top provider for Qatar and other Arabic-speaking markets. So recent in fact, we have not finished our review of them for this site. They will be in our list above soon. You probably know BetVictor from their several past Premier League partnerships with clubs like Liverpool and Fulham. As a company, they’ve been in business since the 1940s, as they started as a regular UK high street bookie, known as ‘Victor Chandler’. Now online as BetVictor, you get excellent football coverage, solid odds and a focus on the Arab and GCC customers. If you want your betting site in Arabic, BetVictor is an amazing option. They also provide Arabic customer support.

Most betting sites do not make their new customer bonus offers available to customers in Qatar. This can be unhelpful. Thus, we have listed several offers below that are available to new players in Qatar.