Best Betting Sites in Macedonia

North Macedonia was a part of Yugoslavia until 1991 when it declared its independence and entered a path of steady development. With the economy slowly improving, gambling picked up a lot of momentum. The first law on gambling was passed in 1997. However, it was a sketchy approach. After many years in which the local betting market remained under a grey status, the ‘Law on games of chance and entertainment games’ was finally brought to action in 2011.

Nowadays, a large percentage of Macedonians bet on a regular basis, regardless of their economic background. However, with only a few licensed betting sites in Macedonia, players prefer to place their bets on popular international bookmakers, such as 1xBet and Bet365. The higher odds, wider betting markets and bigger bonuses they provide make them two very appealing options.

Best Macedonia Betting Sites

Right from the get-go, we’re bringing you the best betting sites Macedonia has to offer. They were carefully picked due to their high odds, wide variety of betting markets on lots of sports and great promotions.

Gambling in Macedonia - 5 Things to Know

• 1
  The legal minimum gambling age is 18
• 2
  Currently, there are only two licensed online bookies that are 51% owned by the state
• 3
  Winnings over 5.000 MKD are taxed with 10% when betting at the licensed operators
• 4
  All gambling activities are overseen by the Ministry of Finance
• 5
  Around 50% of the population regularly participates in gambling-related activities

General info

⏩Population: 2.077.132

⏩Active players: 1.000.000

⏩Currency: Denar (MKD)

⏩Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, casino games, lottery

⏩Operator types: Licensed & unlicensed online bookmakers, land-based betting shops, online and land-based casinos

⏩Designated authority: Ministry of Finance

⏩Status: Regulated

Online Betting in Macedonia: The Law Framework

Betting in Macedonia was first approached with an initial law framework in 1997. However, it wasn’t until 2011 when it got its final shape with the ‘Law on games of chance and entertainment games’.

This marked the beginning of a very prosperous period for the bet online Macedonia operators, Mozzart Βet MK and SportLife MK. Currently, these two are the only licensed online bookmakers in the country, while the state owns 51% of shares in each one of them. In terms of licensing, it can take up to 9 months to get a license.

However, the upside for the complicated licensing procedure comes from the relatively low price for acquiring one - around €80.000. At the moment, a 18% tax is applied on the profits of each licensee.

Essential Information for Bettors

Betting online in Macedonia has a relatively low level of taxation. More specifically, a 10% tax is applied to all winnings over 5.000 MKD that derive from the two licensed operators. So, in order to avoid getting taxed, many players place their bets at international unlicensed bookies.

For those who think that betting on international sportsbooks could bring unwanted consequences, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Even though in 2014 the government was aiming to introduce ISP bans for unlicensed bookmakers; no actual measures were eventually taken against them or against the bettors who opt for them.

Which .com Bookmakers Accept Players from Macedonia?

Since Macedonian players are free to place their bets on any international betting site they want, we decided to present you the ones that really stand out.

1xBet Macedonia

1xBet MK allows you to select the MKD as your currency and its website is fully translated in Macedonian. On top of that, it delivers an outstanding betting offer with an average of 100+ markets on all sports and up to 1000 on football matches. The Macedonian First Football League in particular, is entirely covered with hundreds of betting options for each match.

100% Bonus up to 6000 MKD

Play now 1xBet

100% Bonus up to 6000 MKD

Play now 1xBet

22Bet Macedonia

22Bet also welcomes bettors from Macedonia with a fully local interface and the ability to place bets using MKD with no worries about currency exchange fees. Furthermore, 22Bet does a great job at offering very competitive odds on popular sports, with an outstanding 95% payout on the top European football leagues, as well as a market array of 48+ sports.

100% Bonus up to 7500 MKD

Play now 22bet

100% Bonus up to 7500 MKD

Play now 22bet

Bet365 Macedonia

Bet365 MK is another highly popular international sportsbook that gladly accepts players from Macedonia, with more than 30 sports to bet on. It offers an amazing payout of up to 97% on football and basketball. Moreover, Bet365 also shines in the bonus section; as it offers a great welcome bonus, as well as a wide array of daily promotions.

Get the Best Odds

Play now Bet365

Get the Best Odds

Play now Bet365

How to Deposit at Online Bookies

Since betting on international online bookies in Macedonia comes with no restrictions, you don’t have to worry about certain payment options. However, in order to achieve faster withdrawal processing times, along with security and anonymity, it’s better to make your transactions via e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller.

Furthermore, top international sportsbooks like 1xBet and 22Bet allow you to bet by using your local currency. Thus, you don’t have to worry about currency conversion fees. All in all, players that are looking for a great betting site in Macedonia, have plenty of options when it comes to deposits.

The Future of Online Betting Macedonia

Online betting is legal, leaving the freedom of choice to Macedonian punters to place their bets on any bookmaker they choose. One thing that could improve the existing landscape though, would be to put an end to the state monopoly.

This would bring more revenue through taxes, as well as drive the competition up. All in all, from the perspective of placing an online bet, Macedonia is a welcoming country. What the future will bring though is yet to be seen.

Gambling Regulations in Nearby Countries

⏩ Albania: has prohibited all gambling since 2019,  leaving local bettors with no choice other than to turn to international betting sites in Albania that usually offer higher odds, coverage, and promotions.

⏩ Greece: has strict regulations allowing only licensed casinos and bet shops both online and on land. With a small list of exceptions, betting sites in Greece are all locally licensed and have a .gr domain in order to offer their services without getting blacklisted.

⏩ Bulgaria: regulated the market in a similar way to Greece, pushing bookies to comply to offer their services to bettors. the majority of betting sites in Bulgaria have a license, but locals still prefer to bet under the radar with international bookies.