Sports Betting In Israel: When Is It Legal?

In many countries, deciding to gamble is merely a matter of going to the casino, but that’s not a privilege that Israelis have been able to share in. In fact, the Israeli government wants to enforce this anti-gambling stance strongly enough that it asked its police officers not to visit any casino, even when travelling abroad. 

With restrictions as severe as these, how is it ever possible to enjoy gambling in Israel legally? Below, we take an in-depth look at the state of gambling as it currently stands as well as how to bet on sports legally in Israel.

Israeli Gambling Is Restricted

As much as Israelis enjoy gambling like anyone else, only two forms gambling are legal in Israel currently: You can either try your luck at Mifal HaPais, which is the country’s national lottery, or you can give sports betting a go instead. Other than that, there are no options for gambling. So if you live in Israel, you have no real way to enjoy traditional casino games outside of dedicated cruise ships that dock at certain ports in the country.

Nevertheless, table games are popular among Israelis via “underground” gambling sectors, but these are obviously not an option if you are to live according to the law. Fortunately, even if you don’t enjoy the low odds of the national lottery, you can engage in more skillful sports betting under the guidance of the Israeli Commission for Sports Gambling.

Though it’s possible to gamble offline in Israel, it’s still generally not allowed to do so online. Plenty of key figures in the country desire change, imagining a future with Israeli regulation and licence for approved online gambling platforms, but so far, the government has not taken any steps to make this dream a reality. 

Israeli Government Tries To Extend Its Reach

The government of Israel is aware, of course, that foreign casino sites will accept Israeli members and, as a result, the government continues to try and block that access, but those efforts are often ineffective. ISP-level filters and blocks on local internet do little in the wake of VPNs, for example.

Nevertheless, the government tries its best to block domains via court orders. When granted, the court orders require local ISPs to block such domains and thus stop Israeli bettors from accessing online services. That was the goal of the Powers To Prevent Offences law, passed in 2017. 

It’s a scenario that leaves many Israelis confused. Not only is it a commonly beloved activity, but Torah even helps in football, exemplifying the enrichment benefits of mutually engaging in both sports and study. 

Israelis Find Loopholes

Of course, as much as the Israeli government wants to block a given domain does not mean that there isn’t a way to get around that limitation. Several tutorials on using VPNs are freely available throughout the internet, and these simple tools bypass the ISP’s DNS, including its filter of blocked websites. 

As such, while the main way to bet on sports in Israel is to bet on local government-controlled markets, it’s just as easy for Israelis to access and use BettingNonGamstop.com sites, too. These betting sites are based in countries where gambling is totally legal and where casino operators are allowed to accept international members, including those from Israel. 

How Sports Betting In Israel Will Change

Considering all of this, it should not come as a surprise that betting that falls into a grey area is rife throughout Israel. Though sometimes repercussions happen, it does not seem to be much of a deterrent as the activity continues. 

Likewise, The Tel Aviv Magistrate Court also determined that games of skill or chance must be compared against an amateur player, which eliminated quite a few games that were actually based on chance for beginners but that professionals could use strategy on to their advantage. As such, it’s probable that activities like fantasy sports would be considered gambling – a hobby that an amateur usually tries to get lucky on, whilst the experienced would use skill to best each other from there on.

Obviously, then, Israel is quite divided on the subject of gambling. Plenty of legislators want to fully regulate gambling whilst security forces and religious groups are among the staunchest of anti-gambling lobbyists. With these kinds of headstrong opponents in play, it’s unlikely that the state of gambling in Israel will change anytime soon.

Fortunately for sports bettors, there’s still plenty of opportunity available.