Esports betting market trends: Top disciplines, market growth and what's next

By Klimentijs Konevs | Published: March 17, 2026, 12:00

Esports betting has quickly moved from a niche activity to a major part of the global gambling industry. As competitive gaming has grown into a worldwide form of entertainment, betting markets have expanded alongside it. Today, almost every major bookmaker offers odds on top teams, major tournaments, and a variety of match outcomes across the biggest esports titles.

The market continues to grow year after year as more fans follow esports competitions and sportsbooks expand their coverage. So, if you are into gaming or simply curious about some esports betting tips, stick around. This article will surely be useful.

Bettors can find esports betting odds for everything from regional league matches to the biggest international tournaments such as the League of Legends World Championship or Counter-Strike Majors.

According to industry estimates, online esports betting generated around $2.5 billion in revenue in 2024. Although the official data for 2025 is not out yet, the number could be estimated at around $2.8 billion. At the same time, the global betting turnover is already at $20-25 billion per year.

The number of people placing bets on esports has also surged dramatically. In 2024 alone, roughly 74.3 million users worldwide participated in esports betting, compared to just 21.9 million bettors in 2017.

According to industry data, more than $270 million in total prize money was awarded across esports tournaments in 2025. That is a 15% increase compared to 2024. The size of these prize pools often reflects the scale of the event itself.

In some cases, prize pools have been boosted directly by the gaming community. A famous example comes from Dota 2, where a portion of in-game microtransactions contributed to the prize fund of The International. This crowdfunding model led to record-breaking totals. The culmination was The International 2021, which featured a prize pool of roughly $40 million. The figure grew so large partly because The International 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19, which allowed player contributions to accumulate over a longer period.

Overall prize pools vary significantly depending on the game and the number of major tournaments held each year. The table below shows the combined prize money awarded across tournaments in 2025 for five esports disciplines.

The popularity of an esports discipline in betting is not determined by a single factor. Among the most important are:

• Betting volume
• The frequency of major tournaments
• Viewer numbers
• The coverage provided by bookmakers

Here is how the esports betting market was distributed across the five most popular competitive titles in 2025.

Counter-Strike 2 - 57%

CS 2 is the leading esports discipline for betting. The tactical shooter has one of the most packed competitive calendars, with numerous international tournaments taking place throughout the year. This constant stream of matches provides sportsbooks with plenty of opportunities to offer betting markets.

League of Legends - 27%

League of Legends is another cornerstone of the esports betting ecosystem. The game boasts one of the largest player bases in gaming and consistently draws enormous viewership during international events such as the World Championship and Mid-Season Invitational.

Dota 2 - 8%

The overall betting volume for Dota 2 has declined slightly compared to some newer esports titles, but it still maintains a loyal community of fans and bettors who closely follow professional teams and tournament results. The game's complexity also makes it appealing to bettors who like to analyse teams, strategies, and match statistics before placing a bet.

It is important to understand that esports viewership and betting popularity do not follow the same pattern! Some games dominate streaming platforms, while others generate the majority of betting activity. In other words, the most-watched esports titles are not necessarily the ones that attract the most wagers.

Take a look at the top 5 most-watched esports events in 2025:

1. League of Legends Champions Korea 2025 - 161.8 million
2. 2025 League of Legends World Championship - 136.4 million
3. Mobile Legends League Indonesia, Season 15 - 113.3 million
4. Mobile Legends League Indonesia, Season 16 - 101.2 million
5. BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, Counter-Strike 2 - 76.1 million

League of Legends consistently leads global esports viewership. Major tournaments such as the World Championship regularly attract some of the highest peak audiences in competitive gaming.

Esports betting varies significantly across different regions. Factors such as gaming culture, regulatory frameworks, internet access, and the availability of reliable esports betting sites all influence how actively people wager on competitive gaming.

Asia

Asia-Pacific is one of the largest esports betting regions, accounting for around 38% of global betting activity. Countries such as China and South Korea dominate the scene thanks to massive gaming audiences and strong esports ecosystems.

Titles like League of Legends and Dota 2 generate the highest betting volume in the region, while mobile esports also play a major role. In Asia, mobile betting activity exceeds 60%, making it the most mobile-driven esports betting market globally.

Europe

Europe remains the largest esports betting market by turnover. In the first half of 2025, the region accounted for approximately 74% of global betting handle and 73% of total bets placed worldwide.

The market is driven by a mature regulatory environment and strong demand for titles such as Counter-Strike 2, which is particularly popular among European bettors.

North America

North America holds a smaller share of the global market, accounting for around 4% of total betting handle, but it stands out for strong engagement in specific titles.

Games such as Call of Duty and Valorant dominate the region. Call of Duty alone represents around 12% of all esports betting handle in North America. The growth of legal betting markets across U.S. states continues to improve accessibility, supporting steady expansion in the region.

Latin America

Latin America is currently the fastest-growing esports betting region. In H1 2025, it accounted for around 10% of global betting handle and 21% of total bets placed worldwide.

The region also recorded a 27% year-over-year increase in betting turnover, driven by rapidly growing esports audiences and strong engagement in titles like Counter-Strike and mobile esports.

Over 32% of online bettors globally wager on esports at least once a month. In addition, around 69% of esports fans have either placed or considered placing a bet. A single event, the Shanghai Major (CS2), accounted for 28% of all Q4 2024 betting volume, showing strong tournament concentration.

Esports betting works in a similar way to betting on traditional sports. Most sportsbooks offer several types of wagers, allowing bettors to choose how and when they want to place their bets. The three most common formats are pre-match betting, live betting, and prop markets.

Pre-Match Bets

Pre-match betting is the simplest and most common way to bet on esports. In this case, bettors place their wagers before the match starts. Decisions are usually based on factors such as recent team form, player performance, tournament results, and head-to-head history. Popular markets include match winners, map handicaps, and total maps played. This type of betting is especially common for major tournaments where bettors have plenty of information to analyse beforehand.

Live Betting

Live betting allows people to place wagers while the match is already in progress. The odds change constantly depending on what happens in the game, which makes this format exciting for viewers who are watching the match live.

This format is particularly popular in fast-paced games such as Counter-Strike 2. In fact, statistics show that around 46% of Counter-Strike bets are placed live.

Prop Markets

Prop betting focuses on specific events inside the game rather than the final result. For example, bettors might wager on which team wins the first map, how many rounds will be played, or whether a certain player will reach a specific number of eliminations.

These markets have become more common as sportsbooks expand their esports coverage. In Counter-Strike, around 13% of bets are now placed on prop markets.

Market projections suggest that esports betting revenue could reach around $3.5 billion in the coming years, with a steady growth rate of roughly 6-7% annually. Looking further ahead, forecasts indicate a large expansion, with the market's total turnover expected to reach over $54 billion by 2034. The number of bettors will be increasing from around 75 million today to nearly 95 million by 2029, further strengthening the market.

Esports betting volume is growing rapidly across major titles, with Valorant up 175% year-over-year, Counter-Strike up 99%, and Dota 2 up 90%. The ecosystem itself is constantly evolving. New games regularly enter the esports landscape and attract fresh audiences. This constant cycle of innovation keeps the market dynamic and unpredictable.

For bettors and fans alike, you are never too old to start watching competitive gaming.