NFL
Sports are massively popular all over the world, attracting billions of viewers and making billions of dollars. It’s estimated that the global sports industry is worth more than $600 billion, which includes money made from stadiums as well as merchandise, advertising, and TV. One aspect of the sports industry that has been growing significantly in recent years is the sports betting industry. Sports betting has become easier and more accessible thanks to online sportsbooks.
Online sports betting is now legal in a growing number of countries, as new regulations are made to allow safe betting. Canada recently became one of the countries to legalize sports betting. Although betting on sports was previously allowed, it was restricted to parlays. This is where multiple bets are combined into one. In August 2021, the law changed, and Canadian provinces are now free to legalize single-game betting too. Ontario online casino games are also available, including slots and roulette.
All over the world, people love betting on sports, but which draws the most money? Read on to find out.
Tennis
Tennis is the most popular individual sport in the world, and it’s also incredibly popular with bettors. Part of the reason for this is that the tennis all year-round instead of having seasons. This means there are almost always games to bet on and plenty of opportunities for bettors. As well as offering standard betting options, tennis has plenty of different markets and live markets.
Basketball
Basketball is the world’s third most popular sport for betting. According to the American Gaming Association, roughly $10 billion is wagered during March Madness. In this college basketball tournament, 68 teams compete in seven rounds over the course of a month in the hopes of becoming national champions. According to gaming researchers Eilers & Krejcik, sportsbooks would handle about $15.2 billion in total legal bets for March Madness alone if all 50 US states allowed online legal sports betting. Outside of March Madness, the NBA is also incredibly popular to bet on all over the world. There’s also EuroLeague basketball, which a lot of major sportsbooks will offer odds on.
Football
In the US, football is the most popular sport to bet on. The game is also the second most wagered on in the world. NFL wagers alone account for approximately half of all sports wagers placed in the United States. When it comes to specific events, the Super Bowl is by far the most popular sporting event on the calendar. In 2022, the Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals brought in more than 7 billion in bets. According to estimates, 26 million individuals gambled on the 2020 Super Bowl, with 5 million of those betting via mobile or online platforms.
Soccer
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and is also the most popular when it comes to betting. As the game is played in just about every country on the planet, this is hardly surprising. There are thousands of soccer games taking place each week, which means there are always games to bet on. Soccer betting accounts for over 70% of all legal and illegal betting worldwide, according to betting and sports data researcher Sportradar. Major competitions that are popular with bettors include the Champions League, Premier League, and the World Cup. The MLS also attracts a lot of bets, although most betting is done in Europe and Asia.
