18+ Responsible gaming Gambling addiction help Gambling Therapy 18+ only. Free help: gamblingtherapy.org.
esportranker.com

Country · UAE

Best esports betting sites in the UAE 2026

This page compares the 9 esports bookmakers we list for players in the United Arab Emirates on what decides daily use: a dirham account, Apple Pay or Google Pay for deposits, how money comes back out and which licence each one holds. Every figure comes from the bookmakers' own payment and licence details, checked 8 Oct 2026.

Abu Dhabi has hosted Counter-Strike's BLAST World Final twice, while most big leagues play in Asian, European or US time. Commercial gaming without GCGRA approval is prohibited in the UAE; the legal status section further down has the details and sources.

9 bookmakers for the UAE, compared AED, Apple Pay and crypto checked per site 18+ only
By Emily Thompson Updated Oct 8, 2026
Bookmakers
9 accept players from the UAE
AED accounts
3 of 9 as listed
Apple Pay
3 of 9 for deposits
Crypto deposits
9 of 9 7 also pay out
Time zone
GST UTC+4

Short answer

Where can I bet on esports from the UAE, and what should I check?

The 9 bookmakers below accept players from the UAE, all licensed abroad. Only 3 list AED accounts and 3 take Apple Pay, while all 9 take crypto deposits, so check the account currency and the way out before you pay in. Online betting without GCGRA approval is prohibited in the UAE, so read the legal status further down first.

AED accounts 3 of 9 as listed
Apple Pay 3 of 9 for deposits
Crypto in 9 of 9 for deposits
Crypto payouts 7 of 9 as listed

The UAE in six figures

  1. 3 of 9

    of the bookmakers we list for the UAE run accounts in dirhams: Betwinner, 888STARZ and 5gringos.

  2. 3 of 9

    take Apple Pay deposits: Dolfwin, 10bet and 5gringos.

  3. 9 of 9

    take crypto deposits and 7 pay out in crypto.

  4. 2 of 9

    show no welcome offer for the UAE: 888STARZ and Dream.bet.

  5. 3 am

    in the UAE is when a 7 pm New York start at LoL Worlds 2026 begins.

  6. 2022, 2023

    Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena hosted the BLAST World Final for Counter-Strike.

Bookmakers Live

Esports betting sites that accept players from the UAE

Each card shows the live welcome offer in dirhams where there is one and the payment methods the bookmaker lists for the UAE. The note gives the licence word for word, the account currency and any Apple Pay or Google Pay deposits.

Welcome offer 10,400 INR Current offer
Not confirmed Live Not confirmed Stream Not confirmed Map mkts Yes Crypto Not confirmed Skins
Why #1: Curacao licence; AED accounts; no wallet payment method listed; crypto deposits and withdrawals.
MasterCard Visa Bank Transfer Credit Cards
Betwinner review

18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly

Welcome offer 10,000,000 BIF Current offer
Not confirmed Live Not confirmed Stream Not confirmed Map mkts Yes Crypto Not confirmed Skins
Why #2: Licences listed: Panama Gaming Control Board, Dirección General de Juegos y Sorteos Mexico, Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Belarus and Vanuatu Gaming License; no AED account listed; no wallet payment method listed; crypto deposits and withdrawals.
Trustly MasterCard Visa Bank Transfer
1xBet review

18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly

Welcome offer 135,000 INR Current offer
Not confirmed Live Not confirmed Stream Not confirmed Map mkts Yes Crypto Not confirmed Skins
Why #3: Licences listed: Curacao and Kahnawake Gaming Commission; AED accounts; no wallet payment method listed; crypto deposits and withdrawals.
Visa Skrill Airtel Money Binance
888STARZ review

18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly

Nomini
Welcome offer 1,000 CAD Current offer
Not confirmed Live Not confirmed Stream Not confirmed Map mkts Yes Crypto Not confirmed Skins
Why #4: Curacao licence; no AED account listed; deposits by Google Pay; crypto deposits and withdrawals. Esports markets include Counter-Strike, Dota 2, LoL and Valorant.
Visa Bank Transfer Google Pay Neteller
Visit Nomini

18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly

Welcome offer 10,000 NOK Current offer
Not confirmed Live Not confirmed Stream Not confirmed Map mkts Yes Crypto Not confirmed Skins
Why #5: Curacao licence; no AED account listed; deposits by Apple Pay; crypto deposits. Esports markets include Counter-Strike, Dota 2, LoL and Valorant.
MasterCard Visa Apple Pay Neteller
Dolfwin review

18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly

10bet
Welcome offer 1,000 CAD Current offer
Not confirmed Live Not confirmed Stream Not confirmed Map mkts Yes Crypto Not confirmed Skins
Why #6: Licences listed: Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, Swedish Gambling Authority, The Irish Office of the Revenue Commissioners and Dirección General de Juegos y Sorteos Mexico; no AED account listed; deposits by Apple Pay; crypto deposits.
Trustly MasterCard Visa Apple Pay
Visit 10bet
10bet review

18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly

5gringos
Welcome offer 500 EUR Current offer
Not confirmed Live Not confirmed Stream Not confirmed Map mkts Yes Crypto Not confirmed Skins
Why #7: Licences listed: PAGCOR; AED accounts; deposits by Apple Pay; crypto deposits and withdrawals. Esports markets include Counter-Strike, Dota 2, LoL and Valorant.
MasterCard Visa Apple Pay Neteller
Visit 5gringos
5gringos review

18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly

YYY
Welcome offer 110,000 EGP Current offer
Not confirmed Live Not confirmed Stream Not confirmed Map mkts Yes Crypto Not confirmed Skins
Why #8: Curacao licence; no AED account listed; no wallet payment method listed; crypto deposits and withdrawals. Esports markets include Dota 2, LoL, Valorant and Arena of Valor.
MasterCard Visa Bank Transfer PaysafeCard
Visit YYY
YYY review

18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly

Dream.bet
Welcome offer – Current offer
Not confirmed Live Not confirmed Stream Not confirmed Map mkts Yes Crypto Not confirmed Skins
Why #9: Curacao licence; no AED account listed; no wallet payment method listed; crypto deposits and withdrawals. Esports markets include Counter-Strike, Dota 2, LoL and Valorant.
MasterCard Visa Bank Transfer Neteller
Visit Dream.bet
Dream.bet review

18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly

Order and welcome offers load live for the UAE. Licences, currencies and payment methods as each bookmaker lists them, checked 8 Oct 2026.

Compare

The 9 bookmakers side by side

Crypto is ticked where the bookmaker lists crypto payments. Currency, popular payment methods and licences are shown as each bookmaker lists them. Main titles are which of CS2, Dota 2, LoL and Valorant the bookmaker lists. A dash means none listed.

Bookmaker Crypto Local currencyPopular depositsLicence as listedMain titles listed
Betwinner Yes Yes (AED)–Curacao–
1xBet Yes Not listed–Panama Gaming Control Board, Dirección General de Juegos y Sorteos Mexico +2 more–
888STARZ Yes Yes (AED)–Curacao, Kahnawake Gaming CommissionCS2, Dota 2, LoL
Nomini Yes Not listedGoogle PayCuracaoCS2, Dota 2, LoL, Valorant
Dolfwin Yes Not listedApple PayCuracaoCS2, Dota 2, LoL, Valorant
10bet Yes Not listedApple PayMalta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission +3 more–
5gringos Yes Yes (AED)Apple PayPAGCORCS2, Dota 2, LoL, Valorant
YYY Yes Not listed–CuracaoDota 2, LoL, Valorant
Dream.bet Yes Not listed–CuracaoCS2, Dota 2, LoL, Valorant

Currencies, payment methods, licences and titles as each bookmaker lists them, checked 8 Oct 2026.

Games

The esports to follow from the UAE

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena hosted the BLAST World Final for Counter-Strike in December 2022, won by G2 Esports, and in December 2023, won by Team Vitality. The LEC plays in Berlin, two to three hours behind the UAE, and LoL Worlds 2026 runs in the United States (Los Angeles, Allen and New York) from 15 October to 14 November: a 7 pm New York start is 3 am in the UAE. Event facts from Liquipedia and Wikipedia, checked 8 Oct 2026.

CS2 CS:GO Tactical shooter BLAST World Final, Abu Dhabi 2022 and 2023 VAL Valorant Tactical shooter Dota 2 Dota 2 PC MOBA TI 2026, Shanghai: Team Spirit LoL League of Legends PC MOBA Worlds 2026: 15 Oct – 14 Nov, USA FC EA Sports FC Sports sim

Patterns & exceptions

What the UAE listing shows

Currency

Offers in dirhams, accounts mostly not

What it means: at 6 of the 9 your balance runs in another currency, so each deposit and payout is converted.

Exception: Betwinner, 888STARZ and 5gringos are the 3 that list AED accounts.
Payments

Crypto everywhere, phone wallets at a few

What it means: a crypto wallet works at all 9; Apple Pay at 3 and Google Pay only at Nomini.

Exception: Dolfwin and 10bet take crypto deposits but list no crypto withdrawals.
Licences

Mostly Curacao, with European and Philippine exceptions

What it means: a complaint goes to the regulator that licensed the bookmaker; none lists a GCGRA licence.

Exception: 10bet lists Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, Swedish Gambling Authority, The Irish Office of the Revenue Commissioners and Dirección General de Juegos y Sorteos Mexico; 5gringos lists PAGCOR; 1xBet lists Panama Gaming Control Board, Dirección General de Juegos y Sorteos Mexico, Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Belarus and Vanuatu Gaming License.

Computed from the 9 bookmakers listed for the UAE, as each lists its payment methods, currencies and licences, checked 8 Oct 2026.

Payments

Paying in and out from the UAE

What the methods on this page mean in practice.

Apple Pay and Google Pay

Card payments through your phone. Apple Pay is listed by Dolfwin, 10bet and 5gringos, Google Pay by Nomini, for deposits only.

So what: the card behind the wallet decides whether the payment goes through.

Crypto

All 9 take crypto deposits and 7 pay out in crypto. Each transfer carries a network fee, and the dirham value moves with the coin.

So what: count the cost of converting back to dirhams.

E-wallets and cards out

7 of 9 list Skrill and Visa for withdrawals, 6 list Neteller.

So what: at the 6 without an AED account, a payout is converted, usually at a cost.

Methods as listed by the bookmakers for the UAE, checked 8 Oct 2026.

Our data

The the UAE listing in numbers

Counted across the 9 bookmakers we list for the UAE.

9 bookmakers listed for the UAE
3 of 9 list AED accounts
3 of 9 take Apple Pay
9 of 9 take crypto deposits
6 of 9 list a Curacao licence
AED 400–8,000 welcome offers shown

Computed on 8 Oct 2026 from the 9 bookmakers listed for the UAE (n = 9): payment methods, currencies and licences as each bookmaker lists them; offers as shown live, and offers change.

Method

How we pick bookmakers for the UAE

The same approach applies in every market. These are the checks that matter most for players in the UAE.

What a bookmaker needs to make this list

  1. Accepts players from the UAE

    A bookmaker is listed for the UAE only if it accepts players from the UAE. The order adapts to what is available there, so it can differ from our worldwide ranking.

  2. Licence as listed

    Each licence appears exactly as the bookmaker lists it. We only call a bookmaker licensed in the UAE when it lists a licence from the UAE.

  3. Local currency and payments

    AED accounts and popular methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay count, for withdrawals as well as deposits.

  4. Esports coverage

    Which esports titles each bookmaker lists, from CS2, Dota 2, LoL and Valorant to the titles followed in the UAE.

  5. Current offer

    Each card shows the current welcome offer for the UAE. A short-term promotion does not move a bookmaker up the list.

Scores and updates

Our editors score each bookmaker on betting markets and odds coverage, usability, payments, licensing, country access and user feedback, and revisit a score when something material changes, such as a licence or a payment method. The full process is on our How we rank page.

How we are paid

Some bookmakers pay us when a reader signs up through our links. That never decides the order.

The law

What the law says

Each point with its source. A neutral summary, not legal advice.

GCGRA

One federal gaming authority

The GCGRA regulates, licenses and supervises all forms of commercial gaming in the UAE.

cms.law
Approval

No gaming without approval

Engaging in, conducting or facilitating commercial gaming without prior GCGRA approval is prohibited.

Mondaq

Glossary

Terms for betting from the UAE

GCGRA
The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, the UAE's federal gaming regulator. So what: None of the 9 bookmakers here lists a GCGRA licence.
Account currency
The currency your balance is held in at the bookmaker. So what: If it differs from the currency you pay with, every deposit and withdrawal is converted, usually at a cost.
Offshore bookmaker
A bookmaker licensed in one country that accepts players from others. So what: Its licence decides where a complaint can go.

Esports betting in the UAE: FAQ

Which esports betting sites accept players from the UAE?

The 9 bookmakers in the list above. On 8 Oct 2026 it was led by Betwinner, 1xBet and 888STARZ; the order and offers update live.

Can I deposit with Apple Pay?

At 3 of the 9: Dolfwin, 10bet and 5gringos. Nomini takes Google Pay. None lists them for withdrawals.

Can I bet in dirhams?

Only Betwinner, 888STARZ and 5gringos list AED accounts. At the other 6 expect a currency conversion, even where the offer is shown in dirhams.

What time are the big esports events in the UAE?

LoL Worlds 2026 runs in the United States from 15 October to 14 November, so a 7 pm New York start is 3 am in the UAE. An LEC match in Berlin is two hours later on the UAE clock, three once Germany's clocks go back on 25 October.

How do you choose the bookmakers on this page?

The list shows the esports bookmakers in our ranking that accept players from the UAE, in the order of our overall score. Payments, licences and country access are part of that score. See how we rank.

Is esports betting legal in the UAE?

No. Commercial gaming without prior GCGRA approval is prohibited, and so far the UAE Lottery is the first legal product. Check your local rules before you bet.

Where can I get help with gambling?

Gambling Therapy offers free, confidential support online, by live chat, forum and email.

Responsible gambling

Help is free and confidential

Esports betting attracts a younger audience than most sports. If betting stops being fun, these services can help.

18+ only

Esports fans are young

Betting is for adults only. If you are under 18, this site is for information, not for betting.

Our responsible gaming policy
International

Gambling Therapy

Free online support and chat for anyone affected by gambling, wherever they live, including family and friends.

Gambling Therapy