The 2027 AFC Asian Cup is the first Saudi Arabia has hosted, seven years before the Kingdom stages the 2034 World Cup. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain all qualified, and Yemen took the last of the 24 places in June 2026. For a month, from 7 January to 5 February, Gulf football fans will be watching their own teams in their own time zone, and many will look for the tournament on a sportsbook. This page gives the honest version: what is confirmed about the tournament, what is not, what the markets mean, and which of the books we list will take a player from each Gulf state.
Start with the law, because nothing about hosting the Asian Cup changes it. Gambling is prohibited in Saudi Arabia under Sharia-based law and the Anti-Cyber Crime Law; there is no licensing regime, betting sites are blocked at ISP level and banks decline gambling merchants. Betting by individuals is likewise an offence in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. Every sportsbook named here is licensed outside the Arab world and answers to no Gulf regulator. The Saudi Arabia betting page and the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman pages set out the articles and penalties. Read them before anything else on this page.
The tournament at a glance
The AFC set the dates and venues in January 2025 and published the full match schedule, with kick-off times, on 26 October 2026. These are the confirmed facts.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | 7 January to 5 February 2027 |
| Teams and matches | 24 teams in six groups of four; 51 matches |
| Host cities | Riyadh (five stadiums), Jeddah (two), Al Khobar (one) |
| Opening match | Saudi Arabia v Palestine, 7 January, 8pm Saudi time, King Fahd Sports City Stadium, Riyadh |
| Group stage ends | 20 January |
| Round of 16 | From 22 January |
| Quarter-finals | 28 and 29 January |
| Semi-finals | 1 and 2 February |
| Final | 5 February, 8pm Saudi time, King Fahd Sports City Stadium, Riyadh |
Last checked: 29 October 2026. Dates and venues are from the AFC and the Gulf and Saudi news reports of its announcements. Check the AFC's own schedule before you rely on a kick-off time; the tournament is being staged under regional security concerns, covered below.
Format
Six groups of four play a single round-robin. The top two in each group and the four best third-placed teams go through to a round of 16, and every match from there is a knockout. That format matters for betting: a third-placed finish can be enough, so the last round of group games can turn on goal difference and on results elsewhere, and "to qualify" is a different bet from "to win the group".
The eight stadiums
- Riyadh: King Fahd Sports City Stadium (72,000 seats; opening match and final), King Saud University Stadium, Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium, Kingdom Arena (26,000) and Al Shabab Stadium.
- Jeddah: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium.
- Al Khobar: Aramco Stadium, the new venue for the Eastern Province.
Kick-offs we have seen confirmed run from 4:30pm to 8pm Saudi time. That is an hour later in the UAE and Oman, which run on GMT+4, and the same clock in Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Every match falls in the evening across the Gulf, which is exactly when in-play betting volume peaks.
The draw and the groups
The draw was held in Diriyah, on the edge of Riyadh, on 9 May 2026. It had been set for 11 April and was postponed because of the conflict in the region. One place was still open on the night: Lebanon and Yemen had not finished their qualifier. Yemen won it 2-0 in Doha on 4 June 2026 and took the slot in Group E.
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine |
| B | Uzbekistan, Bahrain, North Korea, Jordan |
| C | Iran, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, China |
| D | Australia, Tajikistan, Iraq, Singapore |
| E | South Korea, UAE, Vietnam, Yemen |
| F | Japan, Qatar, Thailand, Indonesia |
Group A is the one Gulf fans will watch most: the hosts against two GCC neighbours and Palestine, with the opening match in Riyadh. Group F is the hardest Gulf draw, with Qatar against Japan.
The Gulf teams
We state what is confirmed and leave form to the tipsters. Squads, coaches and injuries will change before January, and none of it is on this page because none of it is settled.
Saudi Arabia (Group A). The hosts open the tournament against Palestine on 7 January at King Fahd Sports City Stadium and play Kuwait and Oman in the same group. Home advantage is the obvious factor books will price in; how much it is worth is the bookmaker's judgement, not a fact.
Kuwait and Oman (Group A). Both drew the hosts. With the top two and four of the six third-placed teams going through, a Gulf side in Group A does not need to beat Saudi Arabia to reach the round of 16. Their games against each other and against Palestine are the ones that settle second and third place.
Bahrain (Group B). Drawn with Uzbekistan, North Korea and Jordan, the 2023 runners-up. It is the only Gulf team in a group with no other GCC side.
UAE (Group E). All three matches are in Riyadh: Vietnam on 11 January at Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium, Yemen on 15 January at King Fahd Sports City Stadium, and South Korea on 20 January back at Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium.
Qatar (Group F). Qatar won the Asian Cup in 2019 and retained it on home soil in the 2023 edition, beating Jordan 3-1 in the final in February 2024. They begin the defence against Thailand on 11 January at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, play Indonesia on 16 January at Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar, and finish against Japan on 20 January at King Saud University Stadium.
Yemen (Group E). Not a GCC member, but a neighbour with a following across the Gulf. Yemen topped their final qualifying group with 14 points, beat Lebanon 2-0 in the decider, and return after missing the 2023 edition. They open against South Korea.
We have not seen confirmed dates for every Group A and Group B fixture in a source we trust, so we have left them out rather than guess. The AFC's schedule on the-afc.com has the full list.
Asian Cup betting markets explained
Offshore sportsbooks price a tournament like this in two layers. We describe the markets in general terms only; we do not quote odds, because prices move every day and differ between books.
Before the tournament (futures):
- Outright winner. One bet on who lifts the trophy on 5 February. The stake is tied up for a month, and the bookmaker's margin is spread across 24 teams, so it is the most expensive market in the book.
- Group winner and to qualify. Separate markets for each group. Because four third-placed teams go through, "to qualify" on a mid-ranked team is a very different proposition from "to win group".
- Stage of elimination. Which round a team goes out in, from group stage to final.
- Top scorer. The Golden Boot market. Read the dead-heat rule: if two players tie, most books split the stake, so a winning bet can pay at a fraction of the quoted price.
- Specials. Highest-scoring team, group head-to-heads and similar novelty markets, where offered. The 1x-platform books tend to carry the widest range.
On each match:
- Match result (1X2) for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalties in the knockouts are not included unless the market says "to qualify" or "to lift the trophy".
- Asian handicap, which removes the draw by giving one side a goal start. Our football betting guide explains quarter lines.
- Totals (over/under goals), both teams to score, correct score and first or anytime goalscorer.
- Corners, cards and player props at the deeper books.
In play. All the major books run live markets on every match. With evening kick-offs across the Gulf, this is where most tournament bets are placed, and also where the margin is highest and decisions are fastest. Cash-out is offered on most football markets at 1xBet, 22Bet and BetWinner and on selected events at YYY and 888.
One rule to check before staking on any outright: what the book does if the tournament is postponed or moved. Some void outright bets if an event does not finish within a set period; others let them stand. The terms are in each book's sports rules, not the bonus page.
Which sportsbooks accept Gulf players
The table covers the books we list that run a sportsbook, with what our records show on whether each accepts players from each GCC state. "Unknown" means we have not confirmed it either way; check before you register. We do not record acceptance for Saudi Arabia, where betting sites are blocked and local banks decline gambling payments.
| Sportsbook | UAE | Qatar | Kuwait | Bahrain | Oman |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YYY Casino | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 888 Casino | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unknown | Yes |
| 1xBet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 22Bet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rabona | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Unknown |
| BetWinner | Yes | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| Haz Casino | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Betfinal | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Betfinal does not accept players from the UAE, which is why it is not in the toplist above despite a solid football book. Casino Farouk, VIP Arab Club and Slots Palace also attach sportsbooks, but we do not rank them for football.
YYY leads our ranking for the same reason it leads our football page: an Arabic site with 24/7 Arabic chat, football at the centre of the book, and USDT payouts usually inside an hour. 888 is the most established brand on the list, with an Arabic site and a smaller but reliable book. 1xBet and 22Bet share the deepest feed, with corners, cards and player markets on every match and the widest specials, but 1xBet carries the worst complaint record on our list. BetWinner runs the same platform. Rabona and Haz cover the main markets without the depth.
A word on bonuses. Books often run promotions around big tournaments, and we will not invent them before they appear. Read any offer on the bookmaker's own page, check the rollover and minimum odds, and note that sports bonuses usually require accumulators of three or more legs.
Security concerns and the postponement question
The tournament is being staged while Saudi Arabia is in conflict with Yemen's Houthi movement. The draw was already postponed once, and in October 2026 several events in the Kingdom were postponed, moved or cancelled, including an Al Nassr AFC Champions League match and the WTA Finals, which moved to the United States. On 26 October the AFC confirmed the schedule and venues and said the Asian Cup would go ahead as planned, but its president, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, also said that postponement to 2028 remained a possibility if required.
For anyone thinking about an outright bet, that is a real risk to price. If the tournament moves, the book's rules decide whether your stake is returned or left running for a year. Match bets placed close to kick-off carry less of that risk. We will update this page if the AFC changes the dates.
Payments that work from the Gulf
Gulf bank cards are often declined at offshore sportsbooks, and domestic wallets such as KNET in Kuwait, BenefitPay in Bahrain and the main Qatari bank apps do not work for gambling at all. The methods that do work vary by state:
- USDT and crypto: the fastest payouts at YYY and the 1x-platform books. Crypto is licensed in the UAE and Bahrain, banned in Kuwait, not licensed in Saudi Arabia or Oman and treated with hostility in Qatar; gambling with it is unlawful everywhere in the Gulf.
- Visa and Mastercard: accepted by every book, but Gulf banks frequently decline gambling transactions.
- AstroPay, Jeton and MuchBetter: e-wallets that work across the GCC.
- Skrill and Neteller: realistic from the UAE and Bahrain.
The banking hub compares fees and payout times for each method.
Bet within limits
A home tournament with your national team playing every few days is exactly the setting where people stake more than they planned. Set a deposit limit before 7 January, not during it. Never chase a loss on the next match. Our responsible gambling page lists the tools each book offers and where to find help. For other sports and the wider Gulf picture, see the Arabic betting hub.