Sports betting insights: 2024 highlights and 2025 trends from industry leaders
Industry leaders discuss the performance of the sports betting industry and share their perspectives on what lies ahead.
Special report.- It’s been a big year for sports betting with major events including UEFA Euro 2024, the Copa America and the Olympics. But how do things look for the future? Focus Gaming News discussed regulation, markets, trends, and expectations for sports betting in 2025 with representatives from Oddsgate, Betby, DATA.BET and Uplatform.
Sports betting trends
Chris Nikolopoulos, CCO at BETBY, emphasised the growing popularity of custom wagers and player-specific markets over traditional team-focused bets. This reflects bettors’ desire for deeper interaction with games. Meanwhile, innovations like BetBuilder, which combines multiple betting options across a variety of sports and esports, have emerged as game-changers in this context.
Esports also solidified its position as a key growth driver, now contributing approximately 20 per cent of BETBY’s gross gaming revenue (GGR). Nikolopoulos said: “This sector attracts a younger demographic—primarily Millennials and Gen Z—who favour fast-paced betting experiences, as esports matches often conclude in minutes. BETBY has embraced this trend by refining BETBY Games. This feature includes, for instance, an e-soccer simulator that settles bets within eight minutes and adds new markets for games such as Escape from Tarkov: Arena and Stormgate.”
Dina, head of B2B projects at Uplatform, also noted the growth of esports. “Popular games have formed extensive communities, and the rapidly growing audience – especially the younger demographic – ensures a constant flow of interest,” she said. “This trend will only gain strength, given the increasing influence of virtual competitions and their ability to attract millions of viewers in real-time.”
She said another key trend was increased localisation. She said: “Products have become even more precisely adapted to the needs of users in specific markets. This approach makes it possible to achieve a high degree of customer engagement and loyalty.”
She added: “The development and use of AI plays a crucial role here. The integration of artificial intelligence has taken the user experience to a new level. AI not only helps optimise user-platform interaction—through personalised interfaces and smart recommendations, for example—but also enhances operator efficiency. Naturally, from the operator’s perspective, the use of AI for real-time data collection and analysis is becoming particularly effective, enabling more accurate outcome forecasting and the delivery of more relevant betting lines to customers.”
The industry has embraced innovation in betting tools and platforms, including the adoption of mini-apps and progressive web applications (PWAs). “Today’s users need maximum speed and minimal hurdles. Just a few clicks, and they are already engaged in the process, without long waits, complicated registrations, or unnecessary steps,” Dina stressed.
She said social betting has become an important area. “Humans are social creatures, and this never changes: many people want to share emotions, discuss results, and feel a sense of belonging to a particular community,” she said.
DATA.BET noted the rise of live and fast betting, with the integration of live streaming enhancing interactivity and providing a more immersive experience for bettors.
Personalisation also emerged as a crucial focus, combining tailored suggestions with fast betting options to cater to diverse user preferences and enhance engagement. Additionally, Bogdan Holovnov, Head of Esports, at DATA.BET, emphasised the industry has been expanding the range of betting lines, offering more markets, outcomes, and disciplines to provide a comprehensive experience for bettors. “This includes greater tournament coverage and an overall increase in content, ensuring bettors have access to a broader range of options and events. These developments collectively reflect the industry’s commitment to improving flexibility, user engagement and satisfaction.”
Holovnov also highlighted the integration of live streaming in esports has enhanced player engagement by delivering a seamless user experience. “It allows bettors to follow matches as they unfold and place bets simultaneously, fostering a more immersive and immediate connection to the game. It has increased retention, interactivity, and overall excitement, particularly during esports events, creating a vibrant and satisfying experience for all involved.”
Challenges in the esports betting industry
For DATA.BET, one of the main challenges in 2024 was the increasing competition in the industry, which pushed operators to differentiate their offerings. To address this, the company focused on developing and customising betting lines to meet each operator’s needs, ensuring that its solutions were reliable, efficient, and accurate while standing out in a competitive market. “This tailored approach helped operators maintain their distinctiveness and appeal to a broader audience,” Holovnov mentioned.
Another challenge was the seasonality of esports events, which created changes in betting activity. To counter this, DATA.BET leveraged streamer-driven content, Tier 3 – 4 tournaments, and exhibition matches to fill gaps during less active periods. “These initiatives kept users engaged year-round and expanded the pool of teams and players in focus, enriching the overall betting experience.”
Growth of sports betting in LatAm
Nikolopoulos stressed that in 2024, the sports betting industry witnessed remarkable growth, driven by emerging markets and greater regulatory clarity, particularly in Latin America. According to Regulatory Intelligence provider Vixio, revenue in the region is projected to grow from $2.5bn in 2024 to $6.2bn by 2025 and $12.3bn by 2028. Nikolopoulos said increasing internet penetration and a strong preference for mobile-first betting is fueling the growth.
According to Statista Market Insights, there were 3.6 million active bettors in the region in 2019, growing to 8.3 million in 2024. With the regulation of sports betting in Brazil to start on January 1, BETBY’s CCO expects the country to account for half of the region’s revenue by 2028.
Other LatAm markets are also thriving. Mexico and Colombia now generate over $1bn annually in GGR, while Peru’s newly regulated market is growing, with projections of $436m by 2025 and over $850m by 2028.
Tiago Almeida, CEO of Oddsgate, forecasts significant progress, particularly in Brazil. However, he stressed that the region will also face challenges, such as regulatory fragmentation across jurisdictions, requiring operators to navigate complex compliance landscapes while maintaining a player-first approach.
For DATA.BET, the region’s younger demographic and cultural affinity for gaming fueled demand, with clear trends in betting preferences emerging. Titles like Dota 2, Valorant, and CS continued to dominate, attracting new bettors and more significant investments. Holovnov said: “This region represents opportunities for operators to expand their presence and capture new audiences as esports events number has increased.”
Other markets
Regarding the European market, Nikolopoulos said: “Europe remains a cornerstone for the industry, benefiting from its established regulatory frameworks and stable market conditions. Despite stricter legislation in markets like the UK and the Netherlands, where restrictions on player deposits and advertising are being enforced, operators have managed to scale their businesses.”
As for the Asia-Pacific region, Nikolopoulos noted that the UAE, East Timor, and Vanuatu are introducing regulatory frameworks and opening their markets, signalling a positive shift. BETBY’s CCO expects African markets to show their full potential in the coming years. “The African landscape continues to face challenges due to the underdeveloped technological infrastructure which characterises the region. South Africa remains the leading market in the continent, generating circa half of the region’s GGR,” he said.
Asia proved to be another promising market for DATA.BET. “Two Majors – CS and Valorant have been hosted in China and South Korea respectively. However, it was the first time in history the Chinese team won the Valorant championship which gave an additional boost to game awareness in this region.”
In North America, Alberta is preparing to follow Ontario’s successful competitive framework for online gambling in Canada.
Sports betting in 2025
The global sports betting market is expected to continue to grow in 2025, driven by the opening of new markets, new technologies and a more personalised and efficient service for players. Nikolopoulos said technological advancements in AI and machine learning are poised to redefine decision-making, offer enhanced personalisation and improve tools for problem gambling detection. Meanwhile, 5G adoption may enable more immersive live betting experiences on mobile platforms with reduced latency.
He said: “We aim to enhance user experiences through advanced AI-driven personalization and mobile-first innovations, which help create loyalty among bettors. “Our goal for 2025 is clear: to again exceed expectations, maintain sustainable financial development, and set new industry standards. As our CEO Leonid Pertsovskiy aptly stated at the beginning of this year, ‘our appetite for achievement only grows with each success.'”
Almeida said: “At Oddsgate, we are fully prepared to embrace these changes, driving forward innovation, ensuring compliance, and championing responsible gaming practices. As we move into 2025, our goal is clear: to capitalize on the advances of 2024, adapt to evolving regulations, and deliver state-of-the-art solutions for a rapidly transforming market.”
DATA.BET expects significant growth in the esports betting industry, driven by the general development of esports itself. The emergence of new disciplines and tournaments is likely to attract a larger audience and draw more users who see the potential in this expanding market. “As esports continues to gain global recognition, we expect increased investments from igaming operators looking to capitalize on the expanding opportunities. This growth will enhance engagement levels and firmly establish esports as a key segment within the betting industry.” The company also forecasts the introduction of new disciplines in esports will further diversify the betting landscape, providing operators with fresh opportunities to expand their offerings and attract broader audiences.
