Sports betting enthusiasts don’t need a special occasion to try their luck. Any off-season match between two underdogs is already enough for some players to have a good time. Still, there are some competitions that just can’t be missed for casual and regular players. In this article, we are going to talk about each of them and understand why they are so popular.
Same passion, different rules
Sports betting has been around since at least the ancient Greeks. Yet many countries have hostile policies towards gambling. Indeed, the rules may vary even between countries that have regulated the activity. In countries like Finland, for example, the activity is legalized but also heavily regulated. Always, Finnish players have a lot casino and sports betting options to choose from.
Although preferences may change locally, some competitions attract fans from all over the world. Learn more about them below.
Fifa World Cup
Football remains one of the most popular sports in the world. It is a competition which involves the best national teams and the best players of the moment. The last edition, in 2018, attracted more more than 3.5 billion viewers for all 64 games. Even more impressive is the estimated betting volume for this competition: $ 136 billion. The final game alone drew $ 7.2 billion.
However, football fans don’t have to wait four years to bet on their favorite game. Many other exciting competitions take place each year, at national and continental levels.
NFL Super Bowl
In terms of global interest, the Super Bowl lags far behind football competitions. Yet it is a runaway success in the United States and attracts fans from all over the world. In 2015, the match reached its audience record. The famous league was broadcast in 180 countries and over 20 languages.
The Super Bowl has a few exclusive attractions for bettors. Examples include the halftime show, the coin toss, and other small bets that keep all levels of players engaged during the game. Last year, a single game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs received $ 7 billion.
NBA / March Madness
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the United States, in a close conflict with American football. The NBA league is one of the most watched domestic leagues in the sport, but there are others, even in the United States. College basketball is also gaining a lot of space, and March Madness is the most important.
According to the American Gaming Association, more than 45 million Americans play in this month-long competition. This means a betting volume of almost $ 9 billion. While March Madness’s games aren’t as popular as the Super Bowl’s, they could attract nearly double its betting volume.
Cricket world cup
It may surprise some readers, but cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is incredibly famous in India, Bangladesh, Australia and other countries in this region. 1.6 billion fans watched the last edition of the Cricket World Cup, but when it comes to cricket betting it is the Indian Premier League that attracts colossal sums, especially towards the final matches.
Kentucky Derby / The Grand National
Horse racing is one of the most traditional sports in sports betting. The Grand National is an English race followed by royalty. Not only the Queen follows him, but also around half a billion people, in more than 120 countries. The Kentucky Derby isn’t quite as traditional, but it’s still one of the premier equestrian tracks in the United States.
Eyes into the future
The landscape of the sports betting market is changing. Players can also try their luck on online virtual games that have nothing to do with traditional sports. These games are called “electronic sports”, or simply “eSports”. ESports competitions are increasing in number, professionalism and audience. Check out some of the top competitions in this niche below.
League of Legends World Championship
LoL is definitely the most played online game from the moment. The game developed by Riot Games has no less than 100 million players every month. Unsurprisingly, LoL World Championship is among the most watched eSports competitions, attracting many young players as well.
CS: GO
Counter-Strike is one of the more traditional online shooting games. It was released in 1999 as a modification of the original Half-Life. The version played in this tournament is called Counter-Strike – Global Offensive. Valve powered this event as well, and it is right behind League of Legends in popularity, price, and betting volume.
The international
The International, also known as TI, is an annual tournament with 16 teams hosted by Valve. The match revolves around the game Dota 2 and even has qualifying rounds per region. Valve partially funds the prize money, and the rest is added through crowdfunding, using a portion of the Battle Pass sales. Last year the price was $ 25,532,177.
Conclusion
Whatever sport you choose, information is essential for conscious and educated betting. Experts suggest that new players choose sports with which they have at least some affinity. This will facilitate the research necessary to place a solid bet.