Best Taiwan bookmakers

Population: 23.500.000
Active players: 3.000.000
Currency: New Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, lotteries
Operator types: Lotteries, bookmaker shops, unlicensed online bookies & casinos
Designated authority: No designated authority
Status: Regulated

Officially named the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan is an East Asian country; it neighbors China, Japan and the Philippines. The capital is Taipei and Kaohsiung is the largest city. After many years being under Chinese and Japanese ruling, the country eventually retreated to its current land in 1949.

It has strong relations with the PR of China, and the latter's Criminal Code prevails over much of Taiwan's everyday life; including the gambling sector. Gambling in Taiwan is considered illegal, with only a few exceptions, mainly that of  the Taiwan Sports Lottery (TSLC). Sports are a big part of everyday life; people love football, basketball and -mainly- baseball, which attracts thousands of spectators in the local league games. Chien-Ming Wang is an iconic Taiwanese former professional baseball player. He was a pitcher in the American Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals among others.

There is, however, a lack of a specific gambling regulation, especially regarding the online sector; this has left an open window for international bookies to offer their services in the area. As a result, sports betting in Taiwan does not lack options.

Betting in Taiwan - 5 things to know

• In general, all forms of gambling are illegal
• The minimum gambling age is set at 20
• There is no designated gambling authority
• The Taiwan Sports Lottery is the only legal sports betting operator in the area
• International bookies are also actively accepting local players

Best bookmakers in Taiwan

The fact that the local gambling laws are not very clear, has left much room for international bookies to operate in the area. So, to make it easier for you, we narrowed the options down to the best Taiwan bookmakers; these stand out for the wide coverage they have on all major sports, including football and baseball. Moreover, they come with various special bets and welcome offers to suit all needs.

Gambling in Taiwan: The law framework

Simply put, gambling is illegal; however, there are exceptions. The Uniform Invoice Lottery, the Public Welfare Lottery, the Sports Lottery and Mahjong, are all legal. There are however no specific laws governing the online sector.

Many betting shops of the government-owned Taiwan Sports Lottery (TSLC) can be found on almost every street; and it also offers online sports betting, yet on a quite limited array. Baseball, the most popular local sport, is absent from TSLC’s betting slips; and through article 266, China's Criminal Code makes it illegal to gamble in a public place or/and host facilities for the purpose of it. Therefore, as it stands, the TSLC offers the only legal locally based Taiwan online gambling option.

Players sometimes get into trouble for placing bets at illegal Taiwan sports betting sites. Avoiding all domestic gambling providers apart from the TSLC, is a must. Still, there's no reference on accessing international betting sites which hold licenses from other jurisdictions. It remains a grey area, yet players rarely face prosecution for doing so. Moreover, authorities do not block access despite the active surveillance they apply over the internet.

Historically, Taiwan gambling has been a popular everyday pastime. It was as early as 1935 when the Criminal Code first banned all forms of gambling in the country. Then in 1951 the Uniform Invoice Lottery act made lottery legal. The other lotteries only got legal as late as in 2002 and 2008 respectively. Lastly, there was an effort to amend the Offshore Islands Development Act, in 2009. This amendment says that the local population in Taiwan's offshore islands may vote in favor or not of building casinos to promote tourism. But, nothing has been done in that direction up till now.

Essential info for bettors

Despite the general gambling illegality, there are a couple of lotteries that players can legally play at; through one of which, sports betting is also legal. There is a bit of confusion concerning online gambling in Taiwan. So, while the Criminal Code leaves no room for accessing illegal local sites, it makes no reference to international bookies; ones that hold other jurisdictions’ licenses.

To have your peace of mind, simply avoid all betting sites in Taiwan apart from the TSLC's one; also, when accessing international operators, it’s still wise to keep a low profile. You never know at which exact point the law will decide to be more strict.

Therefore, it’s better to hide your tracks anyway. Use a VPN software and always play in the privacy of your home. Keep your betting private and don’t talk much about it. Despite very few incidents of prosecuting players for betting at international-not locally licensed-bookies, do not push your luck.

Last yet not least, authorities do not tax winnings that derive from betting with the TSLC; then again, you definitely get to keep all you win when betting with international bookmakers too. Plus the fact that the odds there are much bigger; and so will be your winnings.

Taiwan sports betting

Baseball is by far the most popular sport in Taiwan; it dates back to the years of Japanese ruling over the country in the early 20th century. However, Taiwan sport betting on baseball through the only local legal provider is not possible; that's because the TSLC only covers football, basketball, tennis, ice hockey and American football.

As if that wasn't enough, it is also notorious for its poor odds. So, if you wanna place a bet on the MLB or the local CPBL, online bookies in Taiwan will cater for it. Either looking to back the NY Yankees or your local CTBC Brothers or Fubon Guardians; you will find what you're looking for at the international bookmakers we list.

Moreover, all major football leagues like the English Premier League or the Spanish Primera Division are thoroughly covered too. Summing up, definitely avoid any illegal local betting site; then, place your bets with any of our listed top international bookies, rather than doing so through the TSLC's poor offering.

How to deposit at online bookies

Taiwanese bettors usually prefer the traditional methods of credit and debit cards to fund their online betting accounts; Mastercard and Visa cards, as well as bank wire, are very common among local players. Still, bookies offer great Taiwan betting alternatives which are gaining more and more fans here too.

Such as e-wallets; so, Skrill and Neteller are both available and among the top choices one can make. They provide fast and secure transactions with a touch of privacy. At the same time, PayPal does not operate in the country; at least it does not allow gambling transactions through its platform. Lastly, crypto betting is also on the rise; however, it still isn’t accepted by the Central Bank of the Republic of China as a currency. Many international bookies in Taiwan are offering it, and many players are exploring it everyday.

On the other hand, the TSLC offers -locally- popular payment gateways, mainly including: LINE Pay and Alipay. All three are well established and have hundreds of thousands of users. They cooperate with local banks like Taishin International Bank and Taipei Fubon Bank, catering for all sorts of local payments.

List of bookmakers accepting New Taiwan Dollar (TWD)

Topping up your betting account in your local currency, simply means you don’t have to worry about exchange fees. At this point, we list all Taiwan bookmakers that accept TWD transactions for your convenience.

The future of online betting in Taiwan

The Taiwan bet scene is as straightforward as it gets. All forms are illegal, apart from the state’s sports lottery offering. The 2009 amendment regarding the offshore islands was a beacon of light towards more liberalization of the sector altogether.

However, since it did not eventually go through, things are static, to say the least; nobody can tell for sure if the state will finally decide upon relaxing its laws. Therefore, we can not risk a prediction concerning Taiwan online betting sites getting licenses anytime soon. China’s influence shall always play a pivotal role in the good ol’ Formosa after all.

The complete list of betting sites in Taiwan

Gambling in Taiwan does not come with many options. Still thankfully, the online offering is quite rich; we hereby list all available betting sites that accept local bettors. These are all 100% legitimate bookmakers. Scroll through, make your choices and enjoy a great online betting experience.