Welp MagazineThe global online betting market is estimated to be valued at over 61 billion USD according to Statista. Other reports then suggest that the global sports betting market will reach a value of over 93 billion USD by the end of 2023.
When it comes to the countries that bet on sports the most, Analytics Insight reported that the top 5 are India, the United Kingdom, Italy, Nigeria, and Canada.
So, what are some of the sports that every sportsbook should have based on popularity? Here are the most wagered on sports according to offline and online sportsbook operators.
Football
European football or soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, so it’s no surprise that it’s also the most wagered on. It’s estimated that this sport has over 3.5 billion fans worldwide. It’s mainly popular in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
In 2019, it was reported that the global legal betting market on football has already reached over $100 billion. Some of the biggest football events that fans bet on are the FIFA World Cup, English Premier League, and UEFA Champions League.
Cricket
Cricket is the second most popular sport so it’s also no surprise that cricket betting on 10CRIC and other platforms is on this list. It’s estimated that this sport has over 2.5 billion fans, and many of them are in Australia, the UK, and Asia.
In particular, cricket is extremely popular in India. MyBetting India reported that over 370 million Indians place sports bets at least once a year and over 140 million are regular bettors. According to the same report, 80 to 90% of betting revenues in the country are from cricket.
Some of the popular cricket events fans love to bet on are the ICC’s Men’s T20 World Cup, the Indian Premier League, The Ashes, and the Big Bash League.
Horse Racing
Before football became the most wagered on sport, horse racing was the favorite of people who love to gamble. It’s a traditional sport and classic themed films or TV shows like Peaky Blinders have shown how popular horse race betting was back in the day.
Well, horse racing betting is still popular today and is still a hit for sports betting enthusiasts. This is still a massive sport in some parts of the world like Singapore, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the USA, Ireland, and Hong Kong.
When it comes to the much-awaited horse races, some of them are the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes, Prix de l’Arc, The Grand National, Dubai World Cup, and the Melbourne Cup.
Tennis
Tennis is on the top 5 list of the most popular sports worldwide up to this day, so it’s also a popular sport to bet on. It’s estimated to have over a billion followers worldwide, and many of them are in Europe, America, and Asia.
Tennis has always been known to be a lucrative sport and many fans of this are willing to place huge bets whenever a major tennis tournament is on. Some of the biggest tennis events today are the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Basketball
Of course, basketball is also on this list as it’s still extremely popular in many countries like the US, Canada, China, and the Philippines. It’s the third most popular sport worldwide with over 2.2 billion fans.
When talking about basketball, only one major league likely comes to mind, and that is the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The NBA is now worth over 2.86 billion USD which is now 15% more compared to last year. When it comes to franchises, New York Knicks is the most valued as it’s now worth over 6.12 billion USD followed by Golden State Warriors valued at over 6.03 billion USD.
Rugby
With over 410 million fans worldwide, rugby also made this list. It’s most popular in countries like England, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, and France. It’s a tough sport, that’s for sure, and this is for people who want to follow any action-packed match.
Some of the biggest rugby events are the Rugby World Cup, the Six Nations Championship, the Home Nations, and the Champion Cup. Some of the most popular rugby players of all time are Antoine Dupont, Michael Hooper, Jonny Wilkinson, and Ardie Savea.
Esports
Now comes the modern age and video game tournaments are now called eSports that are quickly gaining popularity among younger punters. The eSports betting market is now estimated to be valued at over 13 billion USD.
When it comes to the best eSports events to bet on, some of them are The International (DOTA 2), League of Legends World Championship, CSGO Major Championships, Fortnite World Cup, and the Honor of Kings Champion Cup (Arena of Valor).
