The need-to-know dates and tips for esports betting in 2025

In the increasingly multi-faceted gambling industry, esports betting has become an increasingly prominent revenue stream, with its value projected to rocket from $9.75bn in 2021 to a potential $35.6bn by 2031.

This increase, built on years of steady growth and accelerated by digital transformation across society, has created a global juggernaut of a sector, with more esports tournaments, players and fans than ever before.

As a result, esports bets have rocketed, in terms of volume and value.

Last month’s Austin Major Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) competition, which took place over 19 days, had a betting value of more than $218m and attracted over 76 million streaming hours – eye-watering metrics that are impossible to ignore in a space in which engagement drives measurable results.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Not only is Counter-Strike 2 just one of three major video-gaming titles that have disrupted the betting space, alongside Dota 2 and League of Legends, but there are also emerging game titles and tournaments cropping up in an increasingly busy schedule.

Competitive calendar

As illustrated in the iGaming Business Esports Betting Calendar, more than 50 tournaments have already been completed so far this year across the ‘big three’. 

This popularity has seen the return of established organisers such as StarLadder, which brings a track record of well-structured tournaments that attract international media coverage.

“Their re-entry signals renewed confidence in the stability and growth of the tournament ecosystem,” says Bogdan Holovnov,  head of esports at sportsbook solutions provider DATA.BET.     

An exciting addition to these events is the Esports World Cup, which kicked off its second edition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24.

The Esports World Cup is due to feature events in 25 different esports titles in a varied line-up including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, EA Sports FC 25 and online chess.

Each of these will be contested by an international player pool with competitors from Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and the Middle East all aiming for a share of the $70m total prize purse.

Holovnov believes that these developments “significantly reshape” the tournament environment by “adding depth and scale” to the competitive calendar.

New tournaments emerge

However, it is not only the elite international level of esports that is thriving, as there are several tournaments blossoming across lower-tier competitors.

This, paired with growing interest in mobile gaming due to its global reach, are pointing towards greater momentum behind esports betting – and these smaller events can complement the core tournaments that drive the bulk of the viewership and betting activity in the esports industry, Holovnov explains.

“This year’s esports industry is marked by an overloaded tournament schedule, a revival of established tournament operators, the emergence of new influential events, and increasing competition among organisers to create more attractive conditions for teams,” he says.

“Additionally, rising activity in lower-tier scenes and the development of mobile and cross-genre esports titles are shaping the next growth phase.”

The leading tournaments that traditionally generate the highest audience and betting volumes include The International and the League of Legends World Championship – with the 2024 edition of the latter having become the most-watched esports event of all time, with record peak viewing figures of 6.86 million.

This year, the League of Legends World Championship will once again attract plenty of attention, with a $5m prize pool set to attract the best players from across the globe to the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu – with the latter staging the final.

In an increasingly busy calendar, DATA.BET has positioned itself as a key player in the space, giving esports operators, traders and betting platforms the opportunity to keep track of all the most important esports betting windows throughout the year.

The solution is designed to help clients to plan around key engagement spikes, optimising trading resources and aligning business promotional strategies. This commitment to the esports space is underpinned by extensive content coverage, official data and 24/7 in-house trading services.

The most popular esports betting events

Although it is a natural assumption to think that the most viewed events in esports generate the highest betting volume, this is not always the case.

Indeed, while the major tournaments often drive huge viewership, betting can be more of a discipline-specific activity.

In fact, titles such as CS2 consistently lead esports betting volumes due to a more mature ecosystem, frequent elite tournaments, and a well-developed betting infrastructure. These elements offer more stable foundations from which dynamic markets can provide punters with a more engaging proposition, Holovnov explains.

These trends are underlined by data-driven insights. Recent performance metrics from May 2024 to May 2025 show that CS2 alone accounted for nearly 50% of total esports turnover, over 51% of total profit and 46% of all placed bets, engaging 61% of all unique bettors.

“The dominance is especially pronounced in emerging markets,” says Holovnov. “In contrast, despite high viewership, titles like League of Legends or Valorant tend to see lower betting activity per event. This is mainly due to the structure of their ecosystems and limited integration of betting operators into their tournaments, as these remain more closed compared to CS2.

“As a result, in most cases, the largest, most established tournaments within CS2 remain the key drivers of betting volume across esports.”

Which titles will attract bettors?

This year, the core titles driving the highest betting engagement remain stable, with CS2, Dota2, League of Legends and Valorant leading the market.

These games consistently generate the most significant betting volumes due to their established ecosystems, regular tier-one tournaments and global fan bases.

At the same time, several emerging titles are gaining attention and a global following. While already a hugely popular series, the Call of Duty games are evolving from a North America-centric base into a globally relevant betting product.

In the first quarter of this year alone, the number of Call of Duty events covered leapt by 137% in comparison with the same period in 2024, according to DATA.BET.

Esports betting volume also trebled year-on-year for Call of Duty, courtesy of an expanded tournament structure, a return to major events in Europe and rising international viewership.

In addition to Call of Duty’s inclusion in the Esports World Cup, the growth of regional Warzone leagues and investment from European organisations has further increased its visibility and wagering potential.

“This signals clear momentum in audience size, profitability, and betting market viability,” says Holovnov. “Other titles, such as Rainbow Six and King of Glory, also show traction in specific markets like LatAm and Asia, mainly due to local fan bases and growing mobile esports ecosystems.

“Niche titles like 2XKO and Valorant Mobile are not part of active betting yet, but they are already raising player interest and regional engagement. Although these titles are unlikely to challenge the top four’s dominance soon, they present growth opportunities for operators targeting regional audiences.”

Opportunities for operators of all sizes

For many smaller operators with limited resources, investing in esports can feel like a leap into the unknown – so it is essential to know which games offer the best value.

With this in mind, it is worth noting that there is a clear difference in betting margins and operational efficiency between esports titles.

For example, shooters such as CS2, Valorant, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege consistently outperform other genres. This is due to them delivering higher margins, generating the majority of esports betting turnover, and being more predictable from a risk management standpoint.

Holovnov states that this uplift is due to their “more straightforward mechanics, structured formats, and lower variability”.

Multiplayer online battle arena games, known as MOBAs, such as Dota 2 and League of Legends, still draw high engagement. However, they have more complex dynamic demands, advanced trading set-ups and deeper data analysis.

“Focusing on shooters is the most efficient and profitable strategy for operators with limited resources,” says Holovnov. “CS2, in particular, accounts for up to 50% of total esports turnover, making it a priority title in terms of profitability and operational ease.”

How will esports fare in 2025?

In the first three months of this year, esports betting delivered a stable performance. Whilst the first half of January showed a slower pace – including a 0.55% drop in profit margin – this is typical for that time of year.

However, activity picked up in the second half of the month, driven by increased engagement around Valorant, League of Legends and Counter-Strike events. This contributed to sustained engagement and turnover levels throughout the quarter.

Live betting took off towards the end of 2024, with 46% of Counter-Strike bets being placed live in the fourth quarter.

This shows that more fans are getting comfortable with making bets as the action is taking place.

The continuing popularity of these live bets is joined by the desire for more detailed betting options, such as the bet builders that DATA.BET offer.

For the remainder of 2025, steady growth is anticipated across the sector. According to Sports Litigation Alert, esports wagering increased by 13% in 2024 to far outpace the 4% growth seen in traditional sports in the same timeframe.

“This [growth] will be supported by an expanded tournament calendar, with more top-tier events in League of Legends, Dota, Rainbow 6, Valorant, and CS, driving both engagement and betting volumes,” Holovnov says. “Overall, the outlook for 2025 is positive, with expectations of improved performance compared to 2024.”

Long-term trends

Increasingly, esports are being integrated into traditional sportsbooks, with long-established mainstream operators such as Bet365 and GG.BET beginning to establish a significant presence in the market.

Courtesy of their own esports sections, these platforms offer more visibility to different demographics, which helps to attract new customers.

The adoption suggests that the perception of esports is shifting from niche to norm. Furthermore, last year the highly sought-after 18 to 27-year-old age bracket accounted for 44% of all esports bettors.

These players are also betting with much higher stakes than in some other wagering markets. Younger adults are splashing out around $30 on every esports bet in comparison with the average football bet of just $5.

Meanwhile, another notable trend that is reshaping the esports betting landscape is that major tournaments are being hosted worldwide.

For example, there have been major Valorant events in China and CS2 events in Kazakhstan, bringing high-profile competitions and competitors closer to diverse fan bases, thereby expanding the geographical footprint of competitive esports.

As a result of this, operators can gain more opportunities for localised promotions, as well as audience-specific engagement and better alignment with regional time zones. These all contribute towards delivering more effective marketing strategies and improved betting performance.

“To capitalise on these trends, operators must modernise legacy infrastructure and automate operational processes to handle increased demand and efficiently manage betting activity across diverse time zones,” says Holovnov.

“Simultaneously, the industry is shifting toward a more continuous tournament model. In 2025, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in the number of events across CS, Dota 2 and Rainbow Six, while League of Legends added a new international tournament.

“This broader and more consistent tournament calendar ensures steady engagement and gives sportsbooks a more predictable and profitable operational rhythm.”

Esports has become an enormous industry in its own right – and with projections estimating a global audience of more than 640 million people by the end of 2025, it is already objectively more popular than many traditional sports. The challenge for sports betting platforms is to leverage the sector’s tantalising potential – and if operators can tap into this by navigating the busy esports tournament calendar and aligning their strategy with the most important betting windows, then fruitful new revenue streams await.