for expats Betting Sites in Portugal

If you’re a foreign national living in Portugal, you’re allowed to place bets online through licensed platforms. However, before you can fully access your account and start betting, you’ll need to complete a mandatory identity verification process. This is required by Portuguese law and helps ensure responsible, secure gambling for all users.

To verify your account, you’ll need to submit the following:

Once you’ve uploaded the necessary documents, they will be manually reviewed. This process isn’t instant, but you’ll typically receive an email once your account has been successfully verified. Until then, account access or functionality might be limited.

If you’ve just moved to Portugal or are spending time here, you might be wondering how sports betting works — and whether it’s safe, legal, or even available in English.

The good news?

Online sports betting is 100% legal in Portugal, regulated by a national authority, and accessible through a growing number of licensed operators.

But there are a few things every expat should know before placing their first bet.

In 2015, Portugal officially regulated online gambling with the introduction of Decree-Law No. 66/2015. Before that, the market operated in a legal grey zone, and players had little protection.

Today, the industry is overseen by the SRIJ – Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos – which ensures that all betting sites follow strict rules on transparency, responsible gaming, data protection, and financial integrity. Only platforms with a valid SRIJ license are legally allowed to operate in the country.

As an expat, it might be tempting to use the same international betting sites you’re familiar with from your home country. However, most of them are not licensed to operate in Portugal, meaning:

• They’re technically illegal to use under local law
• You may have no legal protection if something goes wrong
• You risk having your account frozen or blocked

Here’s why licensed Portuguese betting sites are the smart (and safe) choice:

1. Player Safety Comes First: Licensed sites are audited and monitored by the SRIJ. Your personal data and payments are protected by law, and you’re betting in a controlled, secure environment.
2. No Taxes on Winnings: In Portugal, players don’t pay taxes on betting profits — the tax burden falls on the operator. What you win is yours to keep.
3. Access to Responsible Gambling Tools: From deposit limits to self-exclusion options, legal sites offer built-in tools to help you stay in control
4. Support the Local Economy: Licensed operators pay taxes in Portugal, with a portion of gambling revenue going directly to social programs through the Ministry of Solidarity, Employment and Social Security.

If you’re living in Portugal but travel frequently, whether for work or holidays, you may notice that you can’t always access your betting account from abroad. This happens because Portuguese betting sites are licensed to operate only within Portugal, and for legal and regulatory reasons, they often block access from other countries.

So what happens if you’re just visiting your home country or traveling temporarily and want to place a bet?

Portuguese operators are required to restrict access based on geographic location. When you connect from outside Portugal, the platform may detect your IP address and block access to betting features — or the entire site.

If you’re traveling but still want to use your account, here are a couple of workarounds: