There are various foreign sports markets that are open to U.S. bettors. These include the U.K., Europe, and Australia, as well as Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Any of these markets are worth considering. However, if you are going to attempt to make cash in a foreign market, you must know the terrain.
U.K., Europe, and Australia
The primary sport in the U.K., Europe, and Australia is soccer. If you go to a sportsbook that carries a lot of soccer, you may be able to access 30 or more professional leagues from around the world. English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga, and Australian A-League are considered some of the best leagues in the world.
Obviously, you can only bet one or two leagues in a competent manner. What you want to do is find a league, such as the English Premier League, with easily accessible information regarding players, teams, game results, and analysis. It’s true that just about every country has it own professional league, but you might struggle to find enough information on the league in Belgium or Sweden to make a smart bet.
For American soccer bettors, the English Premier League is the league of choice because it is accessible through American television, Sirius Radio, and the internet. La Liga is also popular, and much of the information is in English. However, it’s not quite as accessible as the EPL.
Rugby is popular in Australia and the U.K., and if you have the time and motivation, it offers you another chance to earn some cash.
Basketball, Hockey, and Baseball
There are professional leagues in various countries for basketball, hockey, and baseball. You’ll find basketball betting opportunities in Europe and Asia. Various sportsbooks carry European hockey, and baseball betting for leagues in Australia and Asia may be found.
A few words of caution are offered here. First, don’t expect the same volume of games in foreign leagues that you find in the U.S. Also, don’t expect the same quality of play. Handicapping any foreign sport can be difficult, but many bettors find that baseball in foreign markets is one of the tougher ones. Make sure you know the specific rules in each country for any sport. Don’t assume they are the same as those in the U.S. As an example, in Japan a baseball game can end in a tie.
Tennis and Golf
Two other foreign market events that Americans can easily monitor are tennis and golf. Again, you will need to engage in the prerequisite research, but this is fairly easy to do. Tennis is often offered as a live wagering opportunity. Be sure that you understand each sport and the players involved. Never blind bet any sport.
Can You Be Successful?
The big question to ask yourself before you wager in a foreign market is can you really be successful or are you simply tossing your cash away? The fact is there are plenty of wagering opportunities in the U.S. and those markets, which are all in your general time zone, are much easier to get timely information about, and can usually be handicapped readily.
If you do want to bet on a sport in a foreign market, make sure that you can get enough timely information on that sport, the league, teams, and players. Also, it will help a lot if you can watch the games. Make smart choices when wagering in foreign sports betting markets.