Esports betting has entered what industry analysts are calling a maturity phase, characterised not by uniform expansion but by increasingly divergent engagement patterns across individual titles. According to comprehensive new data from Oddin.gg, the esports betting ecosystem provider, growth remains robust across major titles, but the drivers behind that growth have fundamentally shifted.

The company’s 2025 report, drawing on billions of processed bets, reveals a market that now operates less as a single vertical and more as a portfolio of distinct products. Each with its own competitive structure, audience behaviour, and revenue profile.

Volume Growth Masks Structural Shifts

At headline level, the numbers remain impressive. Counter-Strike 2 saw betting volume rise 30% year on year, Dota 2 grew 31%, and League of Legends jumped 46%. VALORANT posted 18% growth, while Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, making its first appearance in Oddin.gg’s annual review, delivered the strongest performance with a 62% increase.

Bet count growth followed similar lines: 23% for Counter-Strike 2, 12% for Dota 2, 32% for League of Legends, 10% for VALORANT, and 41% for Mobile Legends. Median growth across titles stood at 31% for volume and 23% for bet count, underscoring the sector’s continued momentum.

Yet beneath these figures lies a more significant development.

Marek Suchar, managing director and co-founder of Oddin.gg, argues the conversation has moved on. “It’s no longer about expansion across esports as a whole,” he explains. “It’s about understanding that you’re managing a portfolio of titles, each with distinct growth potential and bettor behaviour.”

From Tournaments to Teams

One of the report’s most striking findings concerns the shift from tournament-led engagement to team-driven loyalty, particularly evident in Counter-Strike 2. Bettors now follow popular lineups consistently, regardless of tournament tier. That pattern suggests audiences have matured beyond event-based participation.

This represents a structural change in how the market operates. Where esports betting once revolved around flagship events, activity is now sustained by year-round narratives and roster loyalty. Matches featuring prominent teams generate steady volume irrespective of competitive context, a dynamic more akin to traditional sports than early esports betting markets.

Stakes Rising Across Major Events

Average stakes are climbing, further evidence of deeper engagement. League of Legends’ World Championship saw stakes rise 166% year on year to €77, while VALORANT Champions averaged €47 and Dota 2’s The International reached €28. These increases reflect both growing confidence in the market and a more committed bettor base.

The report also highlights the dominance of live betting, which now accounts for between 70% and 85% of activity across all five titles covered.

“These are real-time competitions where momentum shifts happen quickly, information is visible instantly, and engagement naturally gravitates toward in-play betting,” Suchar notes.

Regional Models Prove Scalable

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang offers a particularly instructive case study. The title’s 62% growth in betting volume was driven almost entirely by regional leagues in Southeast Asia rather than global championships. Weekly domestic competition provided consistent engagement, showing that regional-first models can support significant betting activity without relying on international tournaments.

“That proves regional-first models can work at scale,” Suchar observes, a finding with real implications for how operators approach emerging titles and markets.

Demand for Granular Markets

Bettors are also seeking more sophisticated ways to engage. Player and utility-based markets in Counter-Strike 2 grew by up to 80% between major events, reflecting strong demand for individual performance betting. Similarly, combination markets in Dota 2 have seen notable recreational volume growth, prompting Oddin.gg traders to recommend operators maintain robust offerings across the full Tier 1 calendar.

Meanwhile, Dota 2’s The International retained its unique status as the year’s defining competitive and emotional event, drawing peak concurrent viewership of approximately 1.8 million.

However, Suchar cautions against overreliance on marquee events. “Operators need to maintain depth across the calendar,” he says, particularly as betting behaviour becomes more sophisticated.

What This Means for Operators

The Oddin.gg report makes clear that esports betting is no longer a single market but a collection of distinct verticals requiring tailored strategies. Understanding title-specific engagement patterns, maintaining year-round market offerings, and recognising the shift from tournament-centric to team-driven betting are now essential operational considerations.

For an industry still often treated as a niche extension of traditional sportsbooks, the data suggests something more substantial: a maturing market with its own structural logic, one increasingly defined by differentiation rather than aggregation.