Sports betting is a massive industry with millions of punters contributing to it. They bet on their favorite sports games and competitions online or offline daily. Do you want to know what are the most popular sports among bettors? Here is the top 5 as of 2024.
The five most popular sports among bettors listed
For this list, we have chosen the most popular sports in the world as of 2024. We have also selected all favorites based on the online betting industry only, as tracking all offline bets throughout the world is nearly impossible. So, what are the top 5 kinds of sports that are extremely popular among bettors?
Football
Predictably, football tops the list of the most popular sports among bettors in 2024. Football is the most-watched sport in the world, with billions of viewers. For example, the 2018 FIFA World Cup final was followed by 1.1 billion fans, which made it the most-watched sports competition ever. At the same time, the estimated audience of various home leagues varies from 50 million to 1 billion. All this makes football the #1 sport in the world.
Considering its popularity, it is no wonder football has reached the top of our list, too. Although it is difficult to calculate all the bets people place on football, we found some recent data. Thus, nearly $1 billion is bet on football annually in the UK. In the US, people bet around $90 billion on all types of football: college football, European competitions, and NFL.
In addition, football is the most popular sport among punters in almost all countries. The only exceptions are Australia and NZ, where rugby tops the list, and Canada, with its people’s dedication to ice hockey.
Horse racing
Horse racing has always been among the most popular sports among bettors. Since its appearance, it has been associated with the gambling industry. Although it ceded its leadership to football, horse racing is still a global giant.
According to the newest data, betting on horse racing is estimated to exceed $100 billion annually. The UK has the biggest number of fans of this ancient sport. Besides the UK, such countries as Australia, Japan, France, and the US contribute to horse racing’s popularity in the online betting market.
Tennis
Here comes the biggest surprise for bettors: tennis has become the third most popular sport at online sportsbooks. It is also one of the fastest-growing sports among punters. However, there is a reason why tennis enters the top five of the most popular gambling sports.
Tennis provides the best live betting options among all kinds of sports. As its matches can last for hours, punters have plenty of time to decide about in-play betting options to make the best bet. That’s why most live bets at gambling sites include tennis. As a result, billions of dollars are spent on this sport every year.
Boxing and MMA
Boxing is considered one of the most popular sports in the world. In recent years, it has also become a massive hit at online betting sites. The sport is very profitable to bet on as it doesn’t have many possible outcomes in a match. So, every punter’s winning chances are 50/50.
MMA has added many points to the popularity of boxing. Mixed martial arts competitions are very popular among punters at online sportsbooks, and their fame keeps on growing. Of course, the UFC tops the list of the most bet-on competitions in MMA.
Basketball
Last but not least, betting hit in 2024 is basketball. This sport used to be nearly as popular as football years ago, but it lost its position in the 2010s. Despite this fact, millions of bettors still enjoy betting on basketball matches across the globe.
Following the latest online sportsbook news, the NBA is the most popular basketball competition. Online and offline bookies count over $500 million in monthly wagers punters make. Basketball is closely followed by rugby and baseball as the most popular sports among bettors in 2024.
