Your Guide to Online Betting in Saudi Arabia

Use a VPN to Access Sports Betting Sites

Like other countries with authoritarian regimes, such as China and North Korea, the Saudi government does its best to block sites that go against fundamentalist Islamic teachings. The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), Saudi Arabia’s communication authority, has confirmed that more than 5.5 million “undesirable websites” have been blocked in the country since 2008.

As Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) blocks so many sports betting sites, we strongly recommend using a virtual private network (VPN). In addition to bypassing blocks, VPNs protect your online activity from prying eyes. Just make sure you are prepared for a Know Your Customer (KYC) request when you request a withdrawal from sports betting sites as a Saudi Arabian.

Choose Anonymous Payment Methods

Due to the country’s strict anti-gambling laws, it wouldn’t be wise to try to deposit with debit or credit cards issued by local banks in Saudi Arabia. As a matter of fact, any attempt to deposit would likely be declined and your attempt to complete such a transaction would be reported to the authorities.

Instead, you should choose a payment method that offers anonymity. By anonymity, we mean completing a financial transaction without having to share your banking information directly with sports betting sites. This avoids gambling transactions appearing on your bank account statement.

While CASHU, NETELLER, PayPal, Skrill and several other online payment processors do accept Saudi customers, they aren’t an option either because they block transactions to gambling sites. Despite the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) labelling Bitcoin as illegal, it remains the most popular payment method amongst the country’s online gamblers.

Bitcoin can also be used as a withdrawal option. Some sports betting sites may offer cheques or even wires to Saudi bank accounts. However, these options provide zero anonymity. If your bank flagged a gambling transaction, you would likely have to answer to the justice system. It’s not worth the risk.

Only Bet at SBO-Approved Betting Sites

We aren’t exaggerating when we say we’ve reviewed every online bookmaker that accepts Saudi Arabians. Not all sports betting sites accept Saudi Arabians, and not all of those that do are worth joining. To help you avoid sites with a reputation for terrible odds, slow payments and dreadful customer support, we’ve tested every betting site and provided a list of your best options.

At SBO.net, we only give our seal of approval to online betting sites that tick a long list of criteria. We consider many factors, including how competitive the odds are and how quickly payments are processed. Some of our recommended sites have even have an Arabic version of their website, which shows how serious they are about accommodating sports betting fans from Saudi Arabia.

Footbal

Football is by far the most popular sport in Saudi Arabia, and the country has enjoyed plenty of success on the international stage. The Green Falcons have won the prestigious Asian Cup on three occasions (1984, 1988 and 1996). Saudi Arabia made its debut at the FIFA World Cup finals in 1994, reaching the Round of 16. That remains the team’s best finish to date, despite qualifying on four other occasions.

The best online betting sites for Saudi Arabians also offer odds on the Saudi Professional League. Al-Hilal have won a record 16 titles since the country’s top domestic league was founded in 1976. Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad have been the next most successful teams, with nine and eight title wins, respectively. Al-Nassr legend Majed Ahmed Abdullah holds the league’s top scorer record with 189 goals.

Horse Racing

There is no better example of Saudi Arabia’s increased focus on sport than the Saudi Cup. The oil-rich country surprised the racing world by announcing that it would host the world’s richest horse race in Riyadh at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in 2020. The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) announced a total prize pool of $20m, which naturally drew interest from trainers and jockeys from all over the world.

The inaugural Saudi Cup was won by Maximum Security. The American horse finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Midnight Bisou to win the race. However, the JCSA has withheld $10m in prize money from connections of the winning horse due to an investigation into Maximum Security’s trainer, Jason Servis. He has been accused of administering performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) to horses in his care.

Camel Racing

Yes, camel racing really is a thing. Just don’t expect to find any betting odds or live streams for races at online betting sites. Dating back to the pre-Islamic era, camel racing is a popular traditional sport in Saudi Arabia. It used to be a chaotic sport in which thousands of camels raced across the open desert. Nowadays, camel racing is enjoyed by thousands of spectators at locations like the Riyadh Stadium.

One of the highlights in Saudi Arabia’s camel racing calendar is the Crown Prince Camel Festival. This festival takes place at the camel racing field in Taif during August, with more than 10,000 camels competing in more than 400 rounds of competition. The festival attracts camel racing enthusiasts from all over the Arab world. Hardly surprising considering the prize pool is more than 50 million Saudi riyals.

Formula 1

The Bahrain Grand Prix made history in 2004 by becoming the first F1 race to be held in the Middle East. The Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir is just a few miles away from Saudi Arabia, so plenty of Saudis travel across the King Fahd Causeway to watch the race each year. However, it now looks like Saudi Arabia will host its very own event in the country’s second-biggest city of Jeddah beginning in 2021.

The inaugural Saudi Arabia Grand Prix will be a street race. A state-of-the-art circuit is also being constructed in Qiddiya, with plans to host Formula 1 races from 2023. In addition to these Formula 1 betting opportunities, Saudi Arabians have been treated to Formula E Championship racing since the 2018-19 season. The Diriyah ePrix now seems to an annual fixture of the Formula E racing calendar.