$2.8B Revenue for Esports Betting Industry in 2025 – Are Esports Becoming On-Par with Traditional Sports?

Esports is one of the fastest-growing sectors in betting. With the Esports World Cup taking place until late August, the numbers are set to soar. With a projected $2.8 billion revenue in 2025, is esports rivaling traditional sports like basketball, baseball, and soccer?

Exactly how big is traditional sports betting?

The total revenue in sports betting is projected to hit $77.18 billion in 2025. The number of expected users totals 231.9 million by 2029 – approximately one out of 35 people in the entire world. The US is expected to generate the most revenue ($18.51 billion this year).

The biggest sports in betting worldwide include soccer, cricket, basketball, golf, tennis, horse racing, and boxing. Major leagues like the NBA and England’s Premier League in soccer lead to much of the revenue.

An important factor is the cultural weight of these sports. Events like the Super Bowl, soccer World Cup, Wimbledon, and the Olympics are global media spectacles. They have gigantic advertising revenue and betting on these events is ingrained in fan culture.

And esports?

According to Statista, the worldwide esports betting market is projected to hit $2.8 billion this year. CAGR from 2025 to 2029 is projected at 5.47%, meaning market volume would reach $3.5 billion before the turn of the decade.

According to Cognitive Market Research, North America accounts for almost a quarter of the market. The Middle East and Africa have a market share of just 2% of the global revenue, but this is projected to grow at 7.7% CAGR from 2024 to 2031.

Counter-Strike, League of Legends, and Dota 2 are the biggest games in esports betting. These three titles receive the majority of bets. In fact, Counter-Strike 2 alone was responsible for 57% of global bets in Q1 this year. That was partly thanks to IEM Katowice (January-February) and PGL Cluj-Napoca (February), which offered a collective $2.5 million in prizes.

Betting volume often depends on tournament calendars and regional fan bases. For example, League of Legends is dominant in Asia, and Dota 2 consistently delivers globally. Counter-Strike has a well-organized circuit that helps it maintain a steady stream of betting opportunities throughout the year.

In some cases, the sports betting market crosses over with the casino industry. Sites like Bet Victor for example, which is included in the best online casinos Canada has to offer, feature traditional sports betting, esports, and casino games.

The growth of esports betting has introduced some new regulatory concerns. Some jurisdictions treat esports betting the same as sports betting, but others see it closer to casino gaming. Either way, the integration of casino, sports, and esports betting on single platforms is a clear sign of the industry’s push to capture each market.

While the esports betting market is small in comparison, the industry has some advantages that may help it bridge the gap. Events happen year-round with few seasonal gaps (in comparison to the ever-growing schedules in soccer and tennis, for example). Tournaments can generate millions of viewers online, ready to bet.

Younger generations are more likely to bet on esports. This may reshape the betting landscape over the next decade or so, as sportsbooks diversify to fit new audiences.

Will the Esports World Cup mean more growth?

The 25 tournaments from July to August offer a whopping $70 million in prize money. You can see just how mainstream esports has become by the tournament’s list of official partners. Sony, Aramco, and Amazon are all involved.

The 2025 lineup includes Apex Legends Global Series, Call of Duty Black Ops 6, Call of Duty Warzone, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Street Fighter 6. A full list is available on the official Esports World Cup site.

For the first time, the World Cup will include chess, which the world number one Magnus Carlsen qualified for in February. Carlsen has long since dominated online chess and has said he was excited by the esports setting. He views the faster chess formats as the future of the game.

Major broadcasters are investing in coverage of the World Cup. Fans can watch matches on Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Gaming, with streams available in multiple languages. In some regions, traditional networks like ESPN and Sky have begun airing esports, aiming to tap into the growing crossover audience.

With so much on the line, betting operators are preparing special promotions, odds boosts, and live betting features tailored to the World Cup schedule. Betting platforms will likely roll out promotions, odds boosts, and live betting features to fit the World Cup schedule. Many betting brands have previously partnered with popular streamers or analysts around major events to offer “expert picks” and interactive watch parties. For viewers, it will mean more content and more analysis, for an overall experience that mirrors traditional sports coverage.

The World Cup could prove a tipping point. High-profile sponsors, mainstream media coverage, and a polished production could legitimize esports in markets that haven’t yet embraced it. Streaming platforms will be monitoring the tournament to see if it inspires many first-time viewers to try esports. If more casual viewers are converted into regular customers in time for next year’s tournament, that $2.8 billion figure may look small in 2026.