Asian sportsbooks
- asian sports betting sites and asian bookmakers
What is the difference between an Asian sportsbook and, say, a European sportsbook?
There are many reasons to use a regionally specific sportsbook. The simplest reason would be because, well, you live in the continent in question. If you live in Europe, well, a European sportsbook will probably be most appropriate for you to use, seeing as they are more geared towards the needs of a European sports bettor – by default they deal in the Euro, the stats and odds are going to be formatted in familiar ways, and the spread of the sportsbook is more likely to be closer to what you would want as a European sports bettor.
However, if you live in Asia, naturally, you will probably feel a little more at home on an Asian sportsbook. Since sports betting has roots that far precede the internet, there are different ways that sports betting has been developed in different parts of the world. Plus, given the sometimes precarious terrain that is the legality of online sports betting, an Asian sportsbook is way more likely to be within the regulatory guidelines of your country (if you live in Asia), whereas a European or American sportsbook may not be.
Legal and regulatory reasons, though, are not the only reason that an Asian sports bettor may prefer to use an Asian sportsbook. Furthermore, Asian sportsbooks may be beneficial to sports bettors around the world, not just those of us who live in Asia. As I have already mentioned, the sportsbook itself is likely to be geared towards both a different selection of sports, as well as a different style of sports betting. One of the most common reasons that players all around the world sometimes prefer Asian sportsbooks, for instance, is the fact that they tend to have the best spread of Asian handicaps.
If you live in an Asian country, you might have trouble finding an international sportsbook that offers coverage of more localized sports, leagues, matches, and races. There are a handful of Asian sportsbooks, for example, which let players bet on local Asian horse races. These races, however, would be very difficult (if not impossible) to find included on, say, an online sportsbook based in the United Kingdom.
One reason that international players may also gravitate towards Asian sportsbooks is because of the increasingly popular Asian handicap markets that these betting sites tend to offer. If you know what you’re doing and how they work, Asian handicaps can become an extremely lucrative way to bet on football.
What are Asian handicaps, and are they really worth going through the whole process of signing up for an Asian sportsbook just for them?
Asian handicap betting originated in Indonesia. However, since the turn of the century, this form of online betting has become increasingly popular around the world. Asian handicap betting is specific (at least as of yet) to football, but essentially it results in unparalleled odds and a huge winnings potential once you get the hang of playing Asian handicap spreads on Asian sportsbooks.
With an Asian handicap, football teams are handicapped according to their recent performance. In other words, a statistically stronger team must win by a significantly greater number of points in order for a punter that is betting on the stronger team to win.
Asian handicap betting is a type of spread betting, which may be foreign for many players who are accustomed to traditional sports betting. Basically, to sum it up, spread betting involves wagering on the outcome of an event based more on the accuracy of the wager than the typical “win or lose” model of betting.
Asian handicap spreads tend to range from one quarter of a goal to seven goals. Bets can be placed in increments of either half or quarter goals. Asian sportsbooks are favorited by many who prefer spread betting because Asian handicap betting essentially reduces the number of possible outcomes from the traditional 3 (which occurs in 1X2 betting) to 2. This is done by Asian handicap betting’s elimination of the outcome of a tie. So, with fewer variables at play, your odds of winning are increased, giving players something closer to a 50/50 shot at every bet.
If you are wondering why it can be difficult to find online sportsbooks that offer Asian handicaps, it is because there are some downsides to this betting type for bookmakers. On the plus side, they assist the bookmaker in minimizing risk by balancing the amount wagered on either side of a given match. This results in sportsbooks being able to stake larger positions on big games.
However, a typical Asian handicap bet will have a low margin offering, meaning that Asian sportsbook bookmakers do not have the potential to win nearly as much of our money as on a 1X2 bet (also called vigorish betting). In short, online sportsbooks are at risk of profiting less by offering Asian handicaps.
Why are Asian handicaps specific to football? Well, that is because it is one of the only major sports in which a draw is a common outcome. Or, I should say a common enough outcome to warrant a whole betting style that eliminates it from play. With traditional betting, players lose when they bet on a team to win and the game ends in a draw. With Asian handicap betting, though, there is no such thing as a draw. This is where the handicap system comes into play.
The handicap goal amount is applied to each team before kickoff. If the game ends in a draw, this (always) uneven handicap amount will force a winner, adding these quarter-, half-, or several goals to each team’s final score. Because of the draw potential in football, the sport is often cited as having worse odds than, say, American football or basketball (which almost never end in a draw). Asian sportsbooks that offer Asian handicap betting even the playing field, giving football (soccer) the same odds as every other major sport on which we bet.
To be clear, Asian sportsbooks are not the only ones that offer Asian handicap betting, but they are, I would say, the best place to start.
What makes one Asian sportsbook better than the rest?
When it comes to Asian sportsbooks, there are plenty of factors to look at. Just as many factors are at play when evaluating Asian sportsbooks as there are with any other kind of sportsbook. Some Asian sportsbooks, of course, blow the competition away, while others are just okay. Every Asian sportsbook to be found here, though, has already been thoroughly vetted and reviewed by me; you never have to question whether any of the Asian sportsbooks found here are legit, safe, or good. These are only the best of the best Asian sportsbooks. I wouldn’t waste your time (or mine, for that matter) with anything subpar!
That being said, still, even though we are dealing with nothing but the best Asian sportsbooks, some in this list are bound to be objectively better than others. Some of this is going to boil down to subjectivity, naturally, but I think that when we are talking about concrete things like site design, user experience, mobile friendliness, content and features, and the size and diversity of the sportsbook itself, I believe that we can come pretty close to an objective view of each of the best Asian sportsbooks here.
This is why I have assigned each of the Asian sportsbooks found on my list a rating out of 10. I try to make all of the relevant info easy to find and quick to access, giving you a good glimpse of each of the best Asian sportsbooks so that you can find the right one for you and start placing bets online today. However, in addition to all of the quick info provided for each Asian sportsbook – such as my rating, a list of the sports coverage, pros and cons, top 3 reasons to join, some site stats, and betting limit/payout info – I also give an in-depth evaluation of everything that each of these Asian sportsbooks has to offer.
Consider each of my Asian sportsbook reviews as a tour of the members area. One that you can take for free without having to enter any of your information or register for anything. Each of my reviews of the best Asian sportsbooks will take you through every relevant page of every online sportsbook you may have questions about. Each of my reviews is comprehensive, thorough, and, I like to think, as objective as possible.
If there is ever any cause for concern, I will let you know up front. Then again, if you find a site that is included in my list of the best Asian sportsbooks it is only because there is no cause for concern. Each of these sites is as safe and legit as they come.
Okay, okay … that’s cool and all, but, for real, which one of these sites is the best Asian sportsbook?
It would be nice if I could just drop you a quick hyperlink and be done with this question. Unfortunately, it is not quite so simple. As I said, some Asian sportsbooks are simply better than others (hence the ratings system), but that still does not guarantee that the best-executed Asian sportsbook is going to be the best Asian sportsbook for you.
That is really the key here … focusing your online sportsbook search on which one is going to best cater to your individual needs a sports bettor. If you love betting, for instance, on football and you like the idea of the Asian handicap, well, clearly, finding a sportsbook that offers Asian handicap betting is important to you. However, if you are the kind of player that prefers, say, basketball or ice hockey, this feature will not matter as much, and, so, the best Asian sportsbook for you may not be the same as the Asian handicap bettor.
I am 100% confident that you will be able to find the best Asian sportsbook for your own personal betting needs on BettingDude.com. I have no doubts about it. However, the sports betting site that ends up becoming your new favorite may not be the one to which I have given the highest rating. That’s totally fine, and to be expected.
In fact, I often encourage sports bettors to use BettingDude.com as a resource not just to find a single default online sportsbook, but to create a strategic list of bookmarks. In addition to all the best Asian sportsbooks, there is so much more for you to find here, all of which will improve your sports betting game if you let them.
Once you have found your Asian sportsbook of choice, I recommend finding a European sportsbook, too. Then go and pick out the best sports statistics site, betting exchange, live score site, sports news, online casino, eSports betting, and online poker while you’re at it. I recommend having a diversified portfolio of different sportsbooks and sports resources at your disposal. This is, I believe, how you elevate your game, from that of an average sports bettor to a true high roller. This is how you win!
At any rate, for now, I hope that you enjoy my reviews of the best Asian sportsbooks. I hope that you find them as helpful, informative, and accurate as I intend. And I truly wish you all the best in your Asian sportsbook betting. I’d say good luck, but the best sports bettors know to leave as little room for luck as possible. Happy betting, folks.