Which Are the Most Popular Sports by Betting Volume, and Why

08-02-2022

With the rise of online sportsbooks, lots of sports fans are looking to enter the betting industry. Punters spend billions of dollars every year to wager on different sports, despite several authorities frowning at the activity. Here are the world’s most popular sports by the betting volumes recorded from local betting shops and online sportsbooks.

Soccer

Soccer is the world’s most popular sport with billions of fans worldwide. The game is popular in every continent, with almost every country having a local league. That makes soccer betting a highly lucrative activity for punters, along with lots of markets available on Betway all year long.

Soccer betting is a highly-popular activity worldwide, as most bets are fairly straightforward and the odds are solid. You simply predict whether a team will win or the game will end in a draw and the final score. Soccer betting also offers other opportunities for experienced bettors, including betting on throw-ins, corner kicks, and injuries.

Basketball

Basketball is among the fastest-growing sports in terms of fans and popularity. The NBA is the world`s most famous basketball league in the world, but there are also collegiate leagues across the US and Europe’s basketball league that generates lots of betting volume.

Most basketball wagers involve spread betting, which involves predicting whether a team will defeat their opponent by a specific margin. However, the most exciting bets for basketball fans to wager on involve betting on a favorite team to beat an underdog when it’s on the road (away).

Horse Racing

Traditionally, horse racing punters went to the tracks to place bets on horses while enjoying races. However, the rise of online sports betting platforms like Betway has transformed this practice, with fans betting on major competitions like the Preakness Stakes, Grand National, and Kentucky Derby.

To win horse racing bets regularly, you need to understand the factors that might affect a horse’s ability to race and win. These factors include footing, weather changes, and the handlers’ mood. However, you need to be careful and check the latest stats before selecting a potential winner.

Tennis

Betting on tennis tournaments is quite simple for newbies and experienced punters as the game doesn’t have draws, unlike sports like soccer. Tennis betting has become quite popular as there are various straightforward bets, but the easiest bet involves predicting who will win a match/ tournament.

To win a tennis wager, a punter must study every player’s performance and rank in previous tournaments. You also need to consider other factors like the field, as some players perform better on clay courts, while others win more matches on grass (commonly used at Wimbledon).

American Football

The NFL (National Football League) is the world’s most popular league for this sport. The sport records the highest betting numbers in the US, despite several American States frowning at sports betting. Nonetheless, American football fans are willing to spend hundreds of millions wagering on league matches every season, which culminates with the annual Super Bowl.