Soccer Betting Rules and Regulations (2025 Guide)

Soccer betting is incredibly popular across the globe. However, there are important rules and regulations in place that all bettors should be aware of before making selections, and these could be the difference between getting a winning pick and rueing your luck. You can learn more about the soccer betting rules here.

Introduction to Soccer Betting Rules 

Betting rules are in place across the world to safeguard gamblers online, ensuring that their transactions are secure and their personal details are safe from the threat of hackers.

Legalized sportsbooks are the safest way to make bets online, and these can be easily visibly based on whether a sportsbook is holding an official license.

Sportsbooks will regulate their own terms and conditions for all sports on their platform, and their decision is final when it comes to a dispute surrounding returns from a wager.

Licensing bodies ensure that sportsbooks uphold the strictest demands, and make sure that bettors are treated fairly online in terms of odds and payouts. The legality of betting online is constantly changing in the United States, with a growing number of states legalizing betting.

In total, 39 states across the U.S. have legalized sports betting, meaning eleven still have betting prohibited. Among those include Texas, Alabama, and California.

Common Betting Types and Their Rules

While betting on the whole has its own rules and regulations, there are also rules to consider when betting on soccer.

The vast majority revolve around extra-time soccer betting rules. Moneyline, over/under, and spread markets will also be settled after 90 minutes unless otherwise specified by the sportsbook. Therefore, when asked ‘does extra time count in soccer betting’, the simple answer is no.

Extra-time goals don’t count toward bets, while a moneyline selection won’t be considered a winner if the pick wins a penalty shootout. It is also important to note that abandoned or suspended matches will be declared void, meaning bettors will get their stakes returned.

There are also notable World Cup betting rules to consider. Sportsbooks will pay out on tournament-specific future markets, such as winners, top scorers, and players of the competition, based on the official source.

Regional Soccer Betting Regulations 

Soccer betting regulations differ depending on the nation where you’re based. As mentioned previously, sports betting is only legalized in 39 U.S. states, meaning that players in the remaining eleven aren’t allowed to make wagers.

A number of offshore sportsbooks are readily available to players in the U.S., but it is always safer to bet with regulated and licensed sites such as BetMGM, FanDuel, and BetRivers.

It is also important to note in the United States that betting winnings are taxable, meaning that they must be reported in your income.

Soccer betting is most popular across the United Kingdom and Ireland, where sports gambling is 100% legal. The big difference between the U.S., UK, and Ireland is the fact that betting winnings are not taxable.

Asia is one of the strictest continents when it comes to sports betting. Nations such as Japan, China, and Saudi Arabia have outlawed betting. The first two nations only allow betting on specific sports, with bets allowed on horse racing and motorsports.

How to Read Soccer Betting Odds and Rules 

Odds are vitally important when betting on soccer, as they will directly impact the returns that you stand to win. There are three different layouts: Fractional, Decimal, and American.

Fractional odds are most popular in Britain and Ireland, and show the ratio of the profit won to the stake. Meanwhile, decimal odds are most commonly used elsewhere in Europe.

These represent the amount that a bet will win per $1 that is wagered. As the name suggests, American odds are most common in North America. These odds indicate the amount that a bettor will need to wager in order to win $100, depending on the ‘+’ or ‘-‘.

It is also important to understand what terms such as ‘Push’ and ‘No Action’ mean when making bets. The former means that a bet is refunded as the exact number of a wager is landed. The latter is when a bet is refunded as the selection has been canceled by the sportsbook.

Staying Informed About Soccer Betting Regulations 

It is important to stay up to date when it comes to betting regulations, as laws and rules are always subject to change.

The easiest way to keep up to date with the latest changes is by visiting YouBet frequently. Here, you can find all the latest news surrounding local regulation changes, and rules are regularly updated to ensure readers are kept up to date.