SO it's that time of year again, just as the sunshine arrives in the UK, we pack our bags and head overseas to catch some erm… sun.
But, if like me, you still like a punt when abroad, you'll know it's not easy to get a bet on online due to various regional legislations governing gambling across the world. A question often asked is “can I use my bet365 account abroad?”. So I thought I'd dust down the laptop and take a look at which bookies, (of which I already have an account) would allow you to bet while on holiday in Spain.
Here's what you'll find when trying to access 14 of the leading online bookies.
1. Bet365 – Blocked
I have to say I got a little excited when Bet365 let me log in to my account. But that joy was short-lived when I was met with the following message.
They may be the world's biggest bookie, but unless you've got an account where your address is in Spain, you're not going to be able to play.
2. Ladbrokes – Blocked
Likewise, things looked promising at Ladbrokes when the page fully loaded but my log-in attempt was met with a ‘restricted territory' message.
They helpfully link to a list of restricted territories which includes all those countries where they do accpet bets from, so it's worth checking if you're going somewhere other than Spain.
3. Paddy Power – Blocked
No messing from Paddy Power, you can't even browse their site as you get bounced out immediately. Bah.
4. William Hill – Blocked
Trying to visit WilliamHill.com results in the firm's Spanish site loading, with no option to translate to English. Undeterred, I tried to login but was met with a rather ominous message in Spanish which had me searching for Google Translate.
“Your account has been blocked … Please click here to contact Customer Service.” Hopefully I'll still be able to use the account when I'm back home in Blighty.
5. Skybet – Blocked
No luck at Skybet either. Access denied.
6. BetVictor – Blocked
I'm getting blocked by so many sites I'm now starting to rate the quality of the page design on the notification page. BetVictor scores a ZERO for this unbranded effort. :(
7. Coral – Blocked
Despite the site loading, I was blocked after logging in. Not only that but there's a threat that my account will be frozen if I keep trying to login!
8. 888Sport – Blocked
888 redirects to it's Spanish site. But they can't fool me! I attempted a login but it didn't recognise my details; “You have entered an incorrect password or user. Try again.”
9. 10Bet – Blocked
I have to admit to getting a little desperate now and remembered I had an account at 10Bet. Despite the site loading, it detected I was in Spain after I attempted to login.
10. Sportingbet – Blocked
Aaaaargh! I thought I was on to something here. I managed to login and access my account but was blocked at the final hurdle of placing a bet. How annoying!
11. Boylesports – Success!
At last!!! No geographical restrictions at Irish bookie, Boylesports. I managed to get on to the site, logged in and place a bet. Eleventh time lucky! Result!
12. Betfred – Denied
Back to being denied again, this time by Uncle Fred, no access to Betfred.
13. Betfair – Blocked
Upon trying to access Betfair.co.uk you're taken to the Spanish version of the site. Unsurprisingly my login credentials don't work.
14. Unibet – Success!
Woohoo! Another successful bet placed. No problem to login to Unibet and to get a bet on.
Summary
So there you have it, 14 major bookies tested, only TWO will let you log in to your account and place a bet from Spain.
Of course there are other ways to get round the geographical restrictions but those involve logging in via proxy servers that mask your location. If that sounds like too much hard work then my recommendation is that you set up an account with either Unibet of Boylesports – or both – before you hit the runway.
Join Boylesports – Bet online while you're in Spain
Open your Boylesports account to day and you'll be able to bet while holidaying in Spain.
Join Unibet – Risk-free Bet up to £40
Join Unibet today and get your money back as a bonus if your first bet loses, up to £40
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Right, I'm off for another Pina Colada, in the meantime, let us know in the comments below if you've found any other bookies that accept bets in Spain, and tell us about how you've managed to place bets in other countries.
Is this if you’re trying to use wi-fi? I’ve never had a problem placing bets in Europe with various bookies so long as I’m using my own roaming
Skybet worked for me last year if I used the browser on my phone rather than the app.
Download a vpn app,ExpressVPN is the one I use,only costs a few quid for a few months,and I use bet 365 in Spain (tenerife) with no problems at all.couple of wins and you have paid for the app!