Table tennis is surely one of the most popular casual sports out there. Put simply… who doesn’t love a game of ping pong?! When you start watching competitive table tennis, though, you realise just how skilled and exciting the game can become. Table tennis betting obviously isn’t as well-publicised as that on the likes of football and horse racing, but it can still be extremely rewarding. In fact, many bookies nowadays offer tremendous variety in the table tennis odds you can get, and the tournaments you can bet on.
We’ve tested every serious sportsbook going, and any table tennis betting offers they have in place. In this guide, you’ll learn how to find a bookie for yourself, the tournaments you might start wagering on, and – quite simply – everything else you need to know about betting on table tennis.
The explosion in the popularity of online sports betting has led to a parallel explosion in the number of sportsbooks out there. For bettors, this is excellent news, giving them an enormous amount of choice regarding which bookie they go with.
With all that said… some sportsbooks are better than others! Right now, these are the very best table tennis betting sites out there.
Betway are one of the newer bookies on this list, having only been founded in 2006. What they lack in history, though, they more than make up for in quality, including with their table tennis betting features. Cup and league competitions from all around the world are available to wager on, with in-play and cash out both supported. Notably, table tennis bets count towards Betway’s excellent Free Bet Club, in which you can receive a £10 free bet each week if you spend at least £25 on multiples with three or more selections. ⭐Go to Betway >>
MansionBet are also a relatively new arrival on the sports betting scene, starting off in 2003, but they’ve still managed to make a big name for themselves, most notably through a sponsorship of Bournemouth FC. Their interests go way beyond football, though, with table tennis one of their most prominent other sports on offer. Again, you’ll find a truly international range of markets available, from the English National Championships to the Russian Liga Pro. Although there’s no live streaming of matches, the in-play betting works extremely smoothly. You can also use a few excellent promotions on table tennis, including the ‘50% Extra’ welcome offer, and the Acca Boost. ⭐Go to MansionBet >>
Bet365 are an absolute titan of the British betting scene, and have been one of the biggest bookies around for years now. One of the keys behind their success has been not simply focusing on the most lucrative sports – like football and horse racing – but also paying plenty of attention to the likes of table tennis. The range of markets is exceptional, not only in terms of the competitions on offer, but the bet types too. You can go far beyond simple match winner bets here, getting as specific as Correct Score After 3 Games, or even 1st Game Winning Margin. Crucially, live streaming is also available for all users, and it works brilliantly. ⭐Go to Bet365 >>
Though better known for their betting exchange, Betfair have an excellent sportsbook in place too, and it’s on the latter which you’ll find their table tennis betting odds. There’s a widespread, international selection of markets available to bet on, either pre-match or in-play, and plenty of bet types with which to do so. Like Bet365, Betfair offer high quality live streaming for ongoing matches, allowing you to get a perfect read on your in-play bets or cash outs. While there are no specific table tennis promotions right now, Betfair do run a ‘Refer and Earn’ deal. This allows you to net £10 for every friend you refer… which can absolutely be used on ping pong! ⭐Go to Betfair >>
Having been operating since 1886, it’s fair to say that Ladbrokes are one of the more prestigious betting brands out there! They’ve done an excellent job of keeping up with the times, though, and this is ably displayed in the quality of their table tennis betting section. Like the rest of the site, this area is laid out in an extremely intuitive manner. Betting both pre-match and in-play on matchups from around the world is easy to do, and live streaming is available. You can also use Ladbrokes’ free daily Odds Boost on any table tennis market, allowing you to inflate your odds and – hopefully – your winnings! ⭐Go to Ladbrokes >>
The actual mechanics of ping pong betting aren’t massively different to those relating to other markets. Thus, if you’ve got some previous sports betting experience, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting started here.
If you’re new to the whole thing, though, or simply want a refresher course, here’s a quick and easy guide on how to bet on table tennis.
If you’re new to wagering on this sport, you might be surprised on the variety of table tennis betting odds you can get. You can keep things nice and simple if you like, but – if you want to get more specific and creative – there are plenty of ways to do so. These are the main table tennis bet types currently on the market.
This is almost certainly the most popular way to go about table tennis betting. As the name suggests, you’re simply picking who you think is going to win the match. It doesn’t matter how long the match goes on for, or what the final score is. You won’t get huge odds on this market, compared to some of the others we’re looking at. Its straightforward nature, though (there are only two options to choose from!) make it an excellent entry point into betting on ping pong.
Similarly to regular tennis, a table tennis match is broken down into games, and those games are broken down into points. There are a couple of ways to go about point betting. If you’re watching a live game closely, you can actually bet in-play on who’s going to win a specific point… but you have to be pretty quick to do so! Alternatively, you can bet on who will win a certain number of points first; usually three, five or seven.
This is a per-game market, which works as an over/under (like Over/Under Goals bets in football). Your sportsbook will offer a starting number, and you’ll either bet over or under that number. If your bookie sets the over/under at 17.5 points, for example, you can wager on there being either more or fewer than 17.5 total points in that game.
This works almost identically to a Total Points bet. Table tennis matches will usually either be best-of-five games or best-of-seven. For this bet, your bookie will set a starting number – 3.5 for a best-of-five, for example – and you’ll either take the over or the under, depending on how long you think the match will last.
If you don’t like the table tennis betting odds being offered for Match Winner, a Handicap offers you an alternative way to bet on your chosen player. You’re basically starting the match with a fake score, of your choice, which can be either negative or positive depending on whether you’re backing a favourite or underdog. If you want to bet a heavy favourite, for example, you can give them a -1.5 game Handicap to get more favourable odds.
If you thought table tennis was just a casual game, played out in bars or back gardens… you were 100% wrong! In fact, there is a thriving competitive scene, with dozens of major contests taking place all year round, spread out across the world. If you’re just starting off on your table tennis betting journey, though, we’d recommend targeting these major tournaments.
This is the biggest event of all, so – if you’re a newcomer to the sport – we’d recommend seeking out the Table Tennis World Championship odds first. This prestigious competition goes all the way back to 1926. It takes place in either April or May each year, and singles, doubles and team trophies are all up for grabs. A truly international event, the World Championships attract players from around the world, with hosting rotating between a wide selection of countries in Europe and Asia.
While not exactly on the level of the football World Cup, this version is still a pretty big deal! The Table Tennis World Cup is held every year in October, in a variety of cities across Europe, Asia, and – occasionally – other continents too. There are actually three separate World Cups – Men’s, Women’s and Team – which in turn means a whole lot of betting opportunities for you!
Table tennis is a relatively recent addition to the Olympics, having been included since 1988. It’s been featured in every edition since then, though, and will be part of Tokyo 2020 too. The specific events which actually take place at the Olympics have varied over the years, but – in recent times – there have been four variations: singles and doubles for men and women. Tokyo’s Olympics will also see the addition of a mixed doubles contest for the first time.
Contested by countries of the former British Empire, the Commonwealth Games is essentially a smaller version of the Olympics, with a similar range of events. Table tennis was added in 2002, and has been a staple ever since. There are singles, doubles and team variations for men and women, plus a mixed doubles tournament. Hosting duties bounce around the Commonwealth nations – such as England, India and Australia – and the games take place every four years, with the next edition scheduled for 2024.
As its name suggests, the Asian Table Tennis Championships are international tournaments contested by the countries of Asia. Unsurprisingly, given their domination of worldwide competitions like the Olympics, China usually wins! In fact, backing the Chinese at these Championships is one of the safest picks in table tennis betting. Hosting duties are rotated, mainly amongst east Asian nations, and the contest is held in varying months every two years.
As you might guess, this contest is similar to the Asian version… but in Europe, making it almost a Champions League of table tennis! It’s also more regular, held annually instead of biennially, although the same variations of table tennis are played. The European Championships are held in autumn each year, between mid-September and early October.
In-play betting has undoubtedly been one of the most important developments in online gambling, and it’s just as useful in table tennis as other sports. In fact, as a game which relies so heavily on swings of momentum, it’s arguably especially effective in ping pong. There’s also a great variety in the ways in which you can practice in play tennis betting, from simple Match Winner bets through to a specific Point Winner.
Of course, to capitalise on those momentum swings, and maximise your in-play betting, it really helps to be able to watch the match! Fortunately, many major bookies offer online tennis streaming for free nowadays, and we’ve listed a few examples – such as Bet365 and Ladbrokes – above.
By its nature, betting is a risky business. By being smart and patient about the whole thing, though, you can greatly increase your chances of making money. To get you started, make these tips the basis of your ping pong betting strategy.
If you were still under the impression that table tennis was merely a casual game, or a hobby… consider yourself corrected! The competitive scene has never been so big, and betting on table tennis has grown hand-in-hand with the popularity of the sport itself.
If you’re looking to get started in table tennis betting, you’ve got all the information you need in this article. You should know which bet types you like the look of, which tournaments to prioritise, and have a general idea of how to go about the whole thing smartly. The only thing that remains to do is pick between our chosen sportsbooks… and start betting for yourself!