The Business Research Company values the esports betting market at $14.17 billion for 2026, while Business Research Insights puts the same year at $18.53 billion. At the operator level, DATA.BET partners posted 70.6% year-on-year turnover growth in Q1 2026.
These esports betting market statistics cover size estimates, handle by game, live betting, stake sizes, bettor ages and regional shifts through the Esports World Cup 2026.
Esports Betting Market Statistics
How Big Is the Esports Betting Market in 2026?
Five research firms publish esports betting market sizes, and their 2026 figures run from $1,033.05 million to $18.53 billion. Each firm sets its own scope, so the estimates are not like-for-like.
The Business Research Company reports growth from $12.59 billion in 2025 to $14.17 billion in 2026, a 12.5% rate. Its forecast reaches $21.61 billion by 2030 at an 11.1% CAGR.
Source: The Business Research Company, E-Sports Betting Market Report 2026 (2025 base year, 2026–2030 forecast)
Business Research Insights sets 2026 at $18.53 billion, the highest 2026 figure of the five. It projects $59.42 billion by 2035 at a 13.7% CAGR.
Source: Business Research Insights, ESports Betting Market Report (2026–2035 forecast)
Spherical Insights estimates $15.39 billion for 2025 and $62.96 billion by 2035, with a 15.13% CAGR over 2026–2035.
Source: Spherical Insights & Consulting, July 2026 release (2025 base year)
Market Research Future starts from $12.92 billion in 2024 and $14.76 billion in 2025. The firm projects $56.19 billion by 2035 at a 14.3% CAGR.
Source: Market Research Future, Esports Betting Market Report (2025–2035 forecast)
Market Growth Reports publishes the lowest figure: $1,033.05 million in 2026, rising to $4,747.52 million by 2035 at an 18.5% CAGR.
Source: Market Growth Reports, ESports Betting Market Report (2026–2035 forecast)
Esports industry revenue is a separate measure from betting market size and is covered in these global esports revenue projections.
Counter-Strike Held 57.0% of 2025 Handle: Esports Betting Market Share by Game
Counter-Strike took 57.0% of global esports betting handle across 2025. League of Legends followed at 27.3%, and Sharpr puts the pair at approximately 84% combined.
League of Legends gained roughly 2 percentage points on 2024. VALORANT held around 4%, a share Sharpr describes as steady but under-monetized.
The monitor tracks the Kambi network, which spans more than 50 operators in regulated markets. Audience size is a different metric, tracked in this ranking of esports games by viewership.
Source: Sharpr with Abios, Global Esports Betting Monitor: H2 2025 (Kambi network, full-year 2025)
Is Dota 2 Losing Its Betting Share?
Dota 2 finished 2025 at 7.7% of handle, down from 10.5% in 2024 and 14% in 2023. Sharpr says the title has shed roughly three percentage points a year since 2023.
Sharpr’s reading is that new betting volume is flowing to other titles rather than Dota’s core audience collapsing.
Source: Sharpr with Abios, Global Esports Betting Monitor: H2 2025 (full-year 2023–2025)
70.6% Turnover Growth in DATA.BET’s Q1 2026 Esports Data
DATA.BET partners recorded 70.6% higher esports turnover in Q1 2026 than in Q1 2025. The supplier reports GGR growth of 91.4%, which it describes as nearly doubling.
| Metric | Change, Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025 |
|---|---|
| Gross gaming revenue (GGR) | +91.4% |
| Turnover | +70.6% |
| Combo bets | +72.1% |
| Placed bets | +33.2% |
| Active player base | More than +56% |
| Profit from niche disciplines | +245% |
| Overall event calendar | +10.8% |
| Official data events | +5.2% |
Source: DATA.BET, Q1 2026 esports betting update (published May 14, 2026; partner network, Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025)
These figures cover DATA.BET’s partner platforms, not the whole market. The company attributes part of the rise in average bet size to higher-value bets from premium-segment partners.
Rocket League turnover rose 85.3% against Q4 2025, with bet counts up 18.7% and active players up 50.1%. Player and prize data for the game sit in these Rocket League statistics.
Source: DATA.BET, May 14, 2026 (Q1 2026 vs Q4 2025)
What Share of Esports Bets Are Placed Live?
Live bets made up 70.9% of all bets across 24 titles at the Esports World Cup 2026, against 29.1% pre-match. Dota 2 had the highest live share at 87.7%.
Counter-Strike 2 came closest to pre-match balance, with 29.1% of its handle placed before the first map.
Source: DATA.BET, Esports World Cup 2026 betting breakdown (July 2–August 23, 2026)
Oddin.gg’s full-year 2025 data shows in-play shares between 72% and 86% across five titles. Dota 2 led at 86%, while Mobile Legends: Bang Bang sat lowest at 72%.
Source: Oddin.gg, 2025 Esports Betting Review (full-year 2025)
Betting at the Esports World Cup 2026
The Esports World Cup 2026 ran from July 2 to August 23 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, its first edition outside Saudi Arabia. The event carried a $75,000,000 prize pool, and DATA.BET covered 24 titles.
Counter-Strike 2 led turnover at 41%, followed by Dota 2 at 31.8%, VALORANT at 11.7% and League of Legends at 8.5%. Together the four drove 93% of turnover.
Stake size ran in a different order. League of Legends had the highest average stake, ahead of VALORANT and Dota 2, while Counter-Strike 2 had the smallest.
| Title | Player Props | Duration markets | Straight Winner and Map Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 11.8% | 3.5% | 53.3% |
| VALORANT | 10.2% | 3.4% | 59% |
| League of Legends | 4.9% | 4% | 65.4% |
| Dota 2 | 3.9% | 4.3% | 67.4% |
Source: DATA.BET, Esports World Cup 2026 betting breakdown (share of each title’s EWC 2026 betting)
Rainbow Six Siege, Call of Duty and Rocket League produced the most turnover outside the top four. All three highest-volume matches were CS2 ties involving FUT Esports, Team Spirit, Team Vitality or FURIA.
Team Spirit won the EWC CS2 title and played in two of those three matches. On-site crowds at earlier editions are logged in these esports tournament attendance figures.
Source: DATA.BET, published August 31, 2026
Which Esports Events Draw the Largest Average Stakes?
League of Legends Worlds 2025 averaged €77 per bet, up 166% year on year. VALORANT Champions followed at €47, up 21%.
The CS2 StarLadder Budapest Major averaged €41 and Dota 2’s The International €28, up 17%. MLBB’s M6 World Championship came in at €16.
Oddin.gg also reports that esports bettors stake roughly 7x more per first bet than traditional sports bettors. Worlds viewership and player counts are covered in these League of Legends statistics.
Source: Oddin.gg, knowledge-hub data published June 4, 2026 (flagship events in its 2025 review)
Esports Betting Volume and Bet Count Growth by Title, 2025
| Title | Betting volume growth | Bet count growth |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | +62% | +41% |
| League of Legends | +46% | +32% |
| Dota 2 | +31% | +12% |
| Counter-Strike 2 | +30% | +23% |
| VALORANT | +18% | +10% |
Source: Oddin.gg 2025 Esports Betting Review, reported by iGB (March 26, 2026; 2025 vs 2024)
Median growth across the five titles was 31% for volume and 23% for bet count. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang led both measures, and Oddin.gg links its growth to regional leagues in Southeast Asia.
Esports Betting Market Demographics by Age
Bettors aged 19–35 made up 69% of the esports betting audience on the Kambi network in 2025, up about 3% on the prior year. The 26–35 bracket was the largest at 42.8%.
Those aged 46 and older accounted for about 12%.
Source: Sharpr with Abios, Global Esports Betting Monitor: H2 2025 (full-year 2025)
Czech partner data from Oddin.gg puts the average esports bettor at around 34 for eFootball and Counter-Strike 2, 35 for Dota 2 and 41 for StarCraft 2 and Halo.
The same post states that 87% of esports betting comes from people aged 18 to 43, split between Gen Z at 44% and millennials at 43%. It does not give a data period for that split.
Age data for gamers overall, a far wider group than bettors, appears in these video game statistics.
Source: Oddin.gg, “How Much Do You Really Know About Esports Betting?” (published June 4, 2026)
Which Regions Moved Away From Counter-Strike Betting in 2025?
| Region | Counter-Strike betting handle | League of Legends betting handle |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | −16.4% | +16% |
| North America | −14.8% | +8% |
| Africa | −10.3% | +8% |
Source: Sharpr with Abios, Global Esports Betting Monitor: H2 2025 (2025 vs 2024)
North America was one of two regions where League of Legends betting outpaced Counter-Strike in 2025. Counter-Strike’s share there fell from 44% to 30% year on year.
VALORANT took 13.7% of North American wager volume in 2025, up from 11.1%. League of Legends held steady at 22% in Europe and 39% in Latin America.
Sharpr says Europe and Latin America continued to anchor global Counter-Strike liquidity.
Source: Sharpr with Abios, Global Esports Betting Monitor: H2 2025 (full-year 2025)
FAQs
How big is the esports betting market in 2026?
Published 2026 estimates range from $14.17 billion (The Business Research Company) to $18.53 billion (Business Research Insights). Market Growth Reports gives a much lower $1,033.05 million under its own scope.
Which esport gets the most bets, a common question on Reddit?
Counter-Strike. It took 57.0% of global esports betting handle in 2025 on the Kambi network, per Sharpr and Abios. League of Legends ranked second at 27.3%.
Is esports betting growing?
Yes. DATA.BET partners grew esports turnover 70.6% in Q1 2026 versus Q1 2025. Oddin.gg reported median betting volume growth of 31% across five titles in 2025.
What percentage of esports bets are placed live?
At the Esports World Cup 2026, 70.9% of bets were live, per DATA.BET. Oddin.gg’s full-year 2025 data shows in-play shares of 72% to 86% depending on the title.
What age are most esports bettors?
Most are 35 or younger. Bettors aged 19–35 made up 69% of the 2025 esports betting audience on the Kambi network, with 26–35 the largest bracket at 42.8%.
References
https://sharpr.substack.com/p/global-esports-betting-monitor-h2
https://data.bet/news/ewc-2026-betting-data/
https://oddin.gg/knowledge-hub/test-your-esports-betting-knowledge
https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/e-sports-betting-global-market-report