Find the Best Bookmakers in China 2023 🇨🇳

Everything about sportsbetting in China

Sports betting is mainly controlled by the Chinese Sports Lottery. American basketball and European football are the most wagered-on sports in Chines bookmakers. The operators provide bets in the form of lotto or pool wagers, where the payout depends on the number of bets placed.

Despite the popularity of the sports lottery, avid sports bettors prefer online bookies because they offer better odds. For instance, with the state-run lottery, a 100 CNY bet on a football event may have an ROI of about 9 CNY. The same wager at an international online sports betting site can give a potential return of over 60 CNY. This is more than six times the winnings from the Chinese Sports Lottery.

Chinese players' favorite sports to bet on

Top china sports betting sites offer great deals for punters looking to bet on professional sports. Those who sign up immediately gain access to live sports bets and lucrative odds from a global perspective. Whether it is an event set to happen in China or an international tournament in the USA, Europe, or Asia, Chinese punters have a lot to wager on with real money. The most prominent sports for betting are:

Football

The CSL or Chinese Super League draws significant attention in Asia. Chinese bettors love wagering on the results of these matches. Reliable Chinese bookies host EPL odds and other acclaimed competitions and leagues. One of the most obvious options is the FIFA World Cup for those who prefer betting on national teams.

Basketball

Some high-rated betting sites are dedicated to basketball teams, such as the CBA or Chinese Basketball Association. Bookmakers have odds for FIBA Asia Cup and NBA/National Basketball Association. Chinese players also bet on Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers.

Esports

Almost all gamblers from China are excited about eSports. The number of eSports players in the country exceeds the overall USA population. Sportsbooks frequently release odds for League of Legends, Counter-Stike: Global Offensive, Starcraft II, Dota2, and Overwatch.

Payment methods for chinese players

China enjoys a broad spectrum of online payment options. Some local methods like AliPay and Tencent are only acceptable at sportsbooks hosted in China and not abroad. Chinese players will find some amazing CNY online betting sites, notwithstanding the strict legality of online gambling. Deposits in Chinese Yuan are possible through one of these methods:

Direct Bank Transfer

It is one of the easiest ways to fund an online betting account. Online banking facilitates safe transactions with RMB/CNY, but charges may apply, particularly when depositing cash at a foreign site.

UnionPay

This is a prepaid card that allows gamblers to transact with gambling platforms. Once loaded with money, the card can be used on the internet in China. It works like a typical debit/credit card. The cardholder draws funds from their bank account.

AliPay

This is an eWallet that stores credit/debit card details so the user can use them to make online payments. It is only helpful in Chinese sportsbooks. Offshore bookies may not accept AliPay deposits. AliPay players use their mobile phones just like Apple Pay. The betting site must list AliPay as a transaction method for it to work.

PayPal

It is the most trusted third-party e-wallet in China. With PayPal, customers fund their bets within seconds at online bookmakers. The process is secure and anonymous as it doesn't expose the player's real identity at the betting site. But not all foreign sports betting providers accept RMB deposits via PayPal.

History of betting in China

Betting in China started some 4,000 years ago. Most of the world-renowned games of chance played today are said to have originated from this Asian country.

Examples of games with a long-documented history in china are mahjong, Pai Gow, Tien Gow, and lottery. Many Chinese punters would flock to Shangai to gamble from the mid 19th century to the early 20th century. Huge gambling complexes at Shanghai French Concession and Shanghai International Settlement offered foreign games like roulette.

After the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the communist regime declared illegal all sorts of betting. Even lottery was banned because it was immoral and a capitalist practice that dated back to the colonial era. The ban continued until the current state-run lottery was established.

As China prepared the Beijing International Marathon in 1984, the organizers hosted a national lottery to raise money for the event. Other sports federations followed suit, and in 1987, the China welfare lottery was founded. The organization continued to gain momentum until the Chinese Sports Lottery was approved in 1994.

Under the patronage of the China Sports Lottery Administrative Center, more sports lotteries were launched. They included football, basketball, scratch-and-win, and seven stars lotteries.

Betting nowadays in China

Today, the legal lottery system works in most Chinese cities. The most played forms of lottery games in China include the 4D and Toto. Horse racing is popular in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Wuhan.

Every week, thousands of gamblers from mainland China get on board ship cruises to bet on international waters. The leisure activity is dubbed 'a cruise to nowhere.' In Macau, the betting market has outmatched Las Vegas, which is considered the world's number one gaming city.

Online betting with offshore sportsbooks is illegal in China. As such, through the help of ISPs, the government has blocked certain websites to prevent citizens from accessing them. But Chinese players often use VPNs to get around those sites. The UK Gambling Commission licenses overseas bookmakers offering services to the Chines. This is the gambling board that regulates the world's biggest poker site. Apart from a reputable permit, foreign sites provide more markets.

Players can bet on the exact scores, which team kicks off the match, corners, and so on. Another wagering option on bookies that accept RMB/CNY is in-play betting. This allows punters to place bets while watching sports in real-time. Many betting websites for Chines players allow mobile betting since they are accessible on Android, iOS, and iPhone.

Future of betting in China

By December 2021, the Chinese gambling industry had generated 296.5 billion Yuan, which is equivalent to 46.6 billion USD. Esports betting alone had a total sales record of 140.2 billion Yuan. Some experts suggest that restrictive measures will have no impact on future revenues. Previous regulations reduced the gaming time for minors, yet the number of gamers is growing at a fast rate.

Out of a possible 720 million Chinese gamers, about 110 million are under 18. The new restrictions will have minimal effects, according to gaming analysts. But there are a few concerns that Chinese eSports may be affected. The new restriction on online gaming might slow down the development of the eSports sector because underaged players will no longer be trained.

After a 10-month freeze, China finally embraced video games from the world's biggest video game publisher, Tencent. Thousands of games are expected to be approved every year by the Chinese regulators. Moreover, the rapid evolution of mini-games for mobile apps like WeChat has led to the massive adoption of online betting across the country. These games come with social features and are easy to play.

Courtesy of modernized cable networks, the Chinese betting industry will enjoy incredibly high connectivity speeds of 100 Mbps. This will facilitate high-performance cloud gaming and gambling services. Again, an abundance of cost-effective communication resources, storage spaces, and cloud computing will make China's betting one of the fastest-growing sectors.

Are casinos legal in China?

No legal casinos operate in mainland China except Macau and Hong Kong. Casinos in these two special administrative regions mainly offer sports and welfare lotteries. Over 15 games of chance are played in the 32 casinos of Macau.

There's a gambling house after every square kilometer in the city. The most played casino game in Macau is Baccarat, also known as baak ga lok. Over 85% of Macau's gaming revenue comes from Baccara.

Because casinos are boycotted in most Chinese cities, gamblers are forced to take their hobbies elsewhere. Poker was banned in 2018, including all kinds of poker, be it online or offline. Online casinos are not regulated in Macau and Hong Kong, allowing citizens to try their luck in those sites. Another pilot zone for casino gaming is Hainan, where players enjoy pari-mutuel sports bets.

Betting legislation in China

In August 2021, China implemented new gaming laws that reduced how much time minors can spend gaming. Players below 18 years of age can participate in online gaming only on weekends and public holidays. Gaming time for minors is strictly from 8 pm to 9 pm.

Previous legislation enacted in 2019 allowed the underaged to play games on weekdays for one and a half hours and on weekends for three hours during the day. This restriction aims to protect children's physical (eyes) and mental health while curbing gambling addiction.

The NPPA (National Press and Publication Administration) now has the mandate to license online video games. It requires gambling entities to register users with their real names as they appear in their national IDs. Minors must also be registered. To ensure that players follow these rules, betting companies in China have employed facial recognition techniques and other biometric algorithms.

Tencent monitors the activity of minors with tracking technology to make sure that children are not using their parents' accounts to play games outside of legal hours. In mainland China, citizens who win state-run lotteries are charged a 20% tax on payouts exceeding 10,000 CNY. Winnings below this figure are not taxed.

Betting acts in China

The 1949 gambling law prohibits betting to some extent. The Chinese lottery got a green light in 1984, and the sports lottery was launched in 1994. However, lawmakers did not pass any laws or regulations on sports betting until the late 20th century.

The absence of a proper legal framework somehow inhibited the growth of China's gambling industry. However, a few ordinances govern the industry today:

The 1998 Provisional Measures on Management of Sports Lottery Welfare: This is the only regulation that specifically targets sports betting.

2001 Circular of the State Council on Further Standardizing Administration of Lotteries: It emphasizes the role of the State Council in approving and governing lottery-related queries.

The 2002 Provisional Regulations on Management of Lottery Distribution and Sales: Was issued by the Ministry of Finance. It manages the distribution and sales of betting tickets and oversees the safety of betting operations and their rules.

A dispensation that was released in 2021 by the Ministry of Public Security exonerated anyone who was found guilty of betting illegally if they surrendered to the authorities by 30th April 2021. The Supreme court declared that individuals who promote illegal cross-border betting against the Criminal Code Article no. 303 are subject to deportation.

FAQs

Is it illegal to bet in China?

No, it betting in China is legal. State-run sports lottery is popular with Chinese gamblers. Online bookies are also allowed.

Do sports betting sites in China give deposit bonuses?

Yes, almost all internet betting sites for the Chinese offer deposit bonuses.

Which is better between the China national sports lottery and online betting?

International sportsbooks accepting Chinese punters have a better experience than the national sports lottery. They offer comprehensive odds and betting markets. Plus, their promotions come with higher values because of a bigger player pool.

Is mobile betting common in China?

Yes, many gamblers from China bet on mobile, either through apps or mobile browsers.

Why are the Chinese fond of betting?

The Chinese culture promotes gaming from a tender age. The tradition is passed from adults to children in family setups. Also, the ideology of lucky numbers prompts citizens to chase good fortune, hence drawing them to gambling.

What makes a China betting site better than the rest?

Experts test and analyze the best sites through a long research process. A good site is safe and has earned an outstanding reputation. It also provides unparalleled odds, prizes, and reliable payment methods.

Most Popular Bookies in China