Legal PBA Betting Guide
The Philippine Basketball Association is the top level of professional basketball in the Philippines. The islands are well-known for their love of basketball, and the PBA was founded in 1975 as the culmination of the many different pro hoops leagues that have come before. There are 12 teams in the league, and you can wager on all their games at all the best legal PBA betting sites.
For legal online betting in the Philippines, all you need is a membership to a top online sportsbook that is operating outside of US jurisdiction and holds a legitimate bookmaking credentials in its home country. The outlets we recommend here are the best basketball betting sites in the world, and they’ve each withstood the test of time so you can trust that your wagers will be honored and you’ll be paid out on time.
Read on to learn more about the PBA and why it’s one of the most fun international basketball organizations for both fans and bettors.
Is It Legal To Bet On The PBA Online In The USA?
Yes! If you live in the United States, you have two ways to bet on the Philippine Basketball Association: domestically at state-based sportsbooks in states with legal sports betting (online and/or brick-and-mortar) or via overseas sportsbooks legally operating outside of US jurisdiction such as the ones on this page.
IS IT LEGAL TO BET ON PBA GAMES ONLINE IN THE PHILIPPINES?
Yes, as long a the bets are placed at a reputable offshore sportsbook. Philippines gambling laws prohibit residents from betting on basketball via locally operated online sportsbooks. However, the Philippines government has declared that offshore betting options are perfectly legal for Filipinos. All of the sportsbooks on this page are legally sanctioned sportsbooks for Filipinos seeking legitimate online PBA betting options.
Best Online Sportsbook For Legal PBA Betting
BetOnline Sportsbook
#1 Rated Online Sportsbook For PBA Bettors
BetOnline is one of the best basketball sportsbooks in the industry and has been in constant operation since the early 1990s. While some USA online sportsbooks have many international restrictions, BetOnline accepts players from both the US and the Philippines at 18+, and the site offers a host of Philippine betting lines, including the latest PBA odds!
Compability
Site Rating
Pros
Most trusted site – Operational since 1992!
US + international players welcome (18+)
Supports AVAX coin + many more crypto options
Guaranteed same-day payouts + no added fees with Bitcoin/altcoins
Cons
Restricted state: New Jersey
BetOnline bonuses/promotions have 30-day time limit
No P2P app or eWallet betting banking options
Best Online Sportsbooks Offering PBA Odds
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Is Betting on PBA Basketball Legal in the Philippines?
Yes, it is. Locally regulated brick and mortar betting outlets in the Philippines support wagering for PBA games. In addition, the Philippines government has declared that offshore betting is legal for Filipino residents, therefore bettors on the island nation can enjoy any of the sportsbooks listed on this page without violating any Philippines gambling laws.
Philippine Cup Odds Coming Soon
Philippine Basketball Association League Format
Unlike NBA basketball or NCAA basketball, the PBA season is structured around three different tournaments or “conferences.” These are called the Philippine Cup, the Commissioner’s Cup, and the Governors’ Cup. These are played in succession, with each basketball tournament crowning a single champion.
The different legs of the PBA season also have slightly different rules that sports bettors should be aware of. That said, they are all structured the same way, each starting with an 11-game seeding tournament followed by a quarterfinal series, a semifinal series, and a championship series.
Philippine Cup
The Philippine Cup is the first tournament or “conference” of the three-conference PBA season, and it is nationally the most prestigious portion of the PBA year.
The Philippine Cup is limited to native-born Filipinos, making it the pride of the season among local Philippine bettors. However, because the Philippine Cup is restricted to native players alone, it is less wagered on by the international audience.
The Philippine Cup consists of 11 games in the first round, followed by an eight-team quarterfinal, a four-team semifinal, and the Philippine Cup championship round.
2024 Philippine Cup Schedule: June through September
Commissioner’s Cup
The Commissioner’s Cup is the second leg of the PBA season, and each team is allowed to employ one foreign-born or naturalized citizen player on its roster. These “import” players have a height limitation of 6’10”, which is something bettors must consider.
Additionally, because these imported players allow the PBA to garner more well-known international talent, it opens the door to more international familiarity and generates a higher betting handle than the Philippine Cup.
The Commissioner’s Cup is structured identically to the Philippine Cup, with an 11-game round-robin that seeds the quarterfinals. Then a semifinal and final are contested to determine the Commissioner’s Cup champion.
2024 Commissioner's Cup Schedule: October though January
Governors’ Cup
The Governors’ Cup is the third leg of the PBA season. This conference also allows each team to hire a single foreign “import” player, though the height limit is reduced to 6’5” for greater parity.
As with the Commissioner’s Cup, the inclusion of foreign players garners this portion of the PBA season a bigger betting audience and wider international television reach.
The length of the leg – 11 games followed by an eight-team quarterfinals, semifinals, and Governors’ Cup championship series – is the same as the previous two legs of the PBA campaign.
2024 Governors' Cup Schedule: February through May
PBA Teams
- San Miguel Beermen
- Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
- Meralco Bolts
- TNT Tropang Giga
- Rain or Shine Elastopainters
- NLEX Road Warriors
- Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots
- Terrafirma Dyip
- North Port Batang Pier
- Blackwater Elite
- Phoenix Fuel Masters
- Converge FiberXers
Types Of Legal PBA Bets
- Straight Bets (aka Moneyline Bets)
- Point Spread Bets
- Totals Bets (Over/Under Bets)
- Player Prop Bets
- Team Prop Bets
- PBA Futures
- Special Bets
- In-Game Bets
PBA Live Betting
Live basketball betting is one of the most popular ways to gamble on the sport. With basketball in particular being a game about streaks, surges, and lulls, live betting allows PBA gamblers to put money on different betting lines that shift in accordance with the pace of play on the court.
All of the best online sportsbooks offer live, in-game betting on the Philippine Basketball Association, but you have to pay attention to the game and the odds boards, as these wagers come and go in just seconds or minutes.
If you hesitate even for a moment, that pump fake might fake you out of pumping up your bankroll. With live PBA betting, when you see a line you like, you need to take your shot ASAP.
PBA Mobile Betting
No PBA sportsbook would be worth an inbound pass if it didn’t offer a full mobile betting experience. Fortunately, all the operators we recommend have total mobile compatibility via their web app portals.
This means that regardless of the device you use, you’ll get a custom betting interface with responsive design elements that conform to your individual screen, allowing for one-tap betting and easy, intuitive PBA odds browsing.
Best of all, with mobile sports betting, you can bet on the go from anywhere in the USA or the Philippines. All you need is a relatively recent iPhone, iPad, Android device (or any other network-connected device with a modern web browser), and you can gamble on the PBA for real money with real convenience.
There are no iPhone betting apps or Android betting apps to install or update, either, so you never have to deal with the App Store or Google Play – Just visit any of the sites listed here using your mobile device, sign up, deposit, and bet!
PBA Rules
The Philippine Basketball Association uses a mix of rules based on NBA and FIBA international basketball guidelines. These include the following basics, which all sports bettors should be aware of, particularly if they’ve never bet on FIBA basketball or Asian basketball before:
- Games: Four 12-minute quarters
- 3-point line: 6.75m (22.1 feet)
- New players: Must play in D-League before being PBA Draft eligible
- Zone defense allowed
- Trent Tucker Rule enforced
- Foreign players: One per team (Commissioner’s Cup and Governors’ Cup only)
- Height limits for foreign players: 6’10” (Commissioner’s Cup), 6’5” (Governors’ Cup)
- Coaches: Must be natural born Filipinos or naturalized citizens
For basketball bettors, the most important rules to keep in mind are the Trent Tucker rule and the height limits on import players. These have serious on-court ramifications that make the PBA league unique and add greater nuance to how basketball prop bets should be considered.