Esports betting is rapidly becoming a major force in the sports betting world. A recent report shows it grew by 75% in the last year, making it the third most popular betting category globally, trailing only football and table tennis.
The big shift is *where* people are betting. Now, they’re just as likely to place bets on things like video game maps, characters, and virtual items as they are on traditional sports like football.
Esports isn’t just an addition for sportsbooks anymore – it’s a central part of their business, influencing everything from what’s offered to how it’s priced and promoted. If you’re still testing the waters with esports, you’re falling behind those who are fully embracing it.
A 75% Surge: What’s Behind the Esports Boom?
The latest report from LSports shows that while football remains the most popular sport for betting, esports is quickly becoming a major force, significantly changing the betting landscape. LSports found a large increase in the number of esports matches available for betting, boosted by popular games like Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2, and also by simulated sports games like E-Football and E-Basketball.
Esports betting experienced huge growth, with increases of 79% and 122% in certain areas. This shows that people aren’t only betting on popular teams, but are quickly embracing new types of bets. Essentially, esports betting has become a core part of the sports betting industry, not just a small addition.
As a huge esports fan, I’m not surprised to see things blowing up everywhere! Asia is leading the way with a massive jump in demand for matches, and Europe is consistently offering over 2 million! It’s clear this isn’t just a fad in one place – people all over the world are really into digital competition. For betting sites, it means they need to offer more options in more countries, cover matches live, and run promotions for games like CS2, Dota 2, and even those simulated sports leagues.
3 Million Fixtures and Counting: Esports Is No Longer Niche
The report revealed a striking figure: over 3 million simulated esports matches (like E-Football and E-Basketball) were requested through LSports platforms in the first quarter of 2025. This is a new record, highlighting just how central esports has become to sports betting.
According to Dotan Lazar, CEO of LSports, gut feelings aren’t enough to succeed in today’s betting world, which is now heavily based on data. He also pointed out that esports has become a mainstream part of the sports betting industry, and bookmakers need to offer it to stay competitive.
His comments emphasize how crucial online betting on esports has become. What started as a small test has rapidly turned into a key part of how sportsbooks operate today.
For sports betting websites, this means offering more esports options, quicker updates on odds during live games, and planning future features with esports as a key priority.
Table Tennis and Lower-tier Football: The Unexpected Winners
While esports dominated the headlines, two other surprising trends emerged from LSports’ Q1 data:
Table Tennis
Table tennis was the second most popular sport among LSports clients, with a remarkable 4.2 million fixtures ordered. Yes, you read that correctly!
Interest in the sport jumped 27% compared to last year, largely thanks to around-the-clock tournaments like the SETKA Cup, TT Elite Series, and Masters League. These events provide constant opportunities for live, in-game betting. The SETKA Cup, by itself, hosted an impressive 868,000 matches.
Lower-tier Football
The report also points out a surprising increase in interest for football leagues outside the top divisions. For example:
- Spain’s Tercera División RFEF (5th tier) accounted for 1.04% of football data consumption
- Italy’s Serie D (4th tier) for 1.02%, and
- Turkey’s Süper Lig for 0.97%
These smaller, specialized football leagues accounted for almost 8% of all betting volume. This shows that betting companies shouldn’t only concentrate on the most popular, high-profile games.
Interest in betting on the UEFA Champions League jumped significantly, increasing by 134% overall. Notably, North America saw an even larger surge, with a 209% year-over-year increase, demonstrating the growing worldwide popularity of major European soccer matches.
These same trends could affect esports betting – like for games such as Dota 2 and CS2 – by making it easier to bet, offering more live betting choices, and providing more reliable coverage of events.
Other Notable Trends in Q1 2025
I was checking out the latest LSports report, and it turns out esports and football weren’t the only big winners in the first part of 2025. A bunch of other sports actually saw some really impressive growth too, which was pretty surprising!
Basketball – March Madness Goes Global
As a huge basketball fan, I was thrilled to see viewership really take off this past quarter! We saw a massive jump – a 37% increase year-over-year! That means 2.2 million people tuned in, which is a new record for a single quarter. It’s amazing to see so many people getting into the game!
NCAA March Madness, usually most popular with American bettors, actually grew by 17.5% in Europe this year. At the same time, interest in European basketball (EuroLeague) jumped 81.5% in North America. This shows that basketball is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, with fans across different regions enjoying the sport.
Tennis – ITF and Daily Tours Climb the Ranks
Tennis viewership rose by 29%. This growth was largely thanks to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), which saw orders for over 570,000 matches – a significant jump of 77% compared to the previous year.
The Daily Premier Tour really stood out, increasing by a remarkable 478% compared to last year and becoming the third most popular tennis tour to watch. This demonstrates that people are increasingly interested in new and different ways to experience tennis.
What It All Means for the Future of Sports Betting
While esports dominated the news, other areas showed surprising growth in the first quarter. College basketball gained traction in Europe, a smaller tennis circuit saw a huge jump in popularity, and even the often-overlooked International Tennis Federation experienced a significant comeback. These weren’t random events – they indicated a real change in what people were watching and enjoying.
People who bet on sports are starting to explore less common options, and they’re doing so quickly. Savvy sportsbooks aren’t just focusing on popular bets; they’re paying attention to what’s attracting new interest. When events like March Madness gain traction in unexpected places, or lower-level tennis becomes more popular than the big tournaments, it signals a shift in the market. In this industry, recognizing those changes early on is crucial for success.
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2025-10-09 20:43