CS2 and League of Legends Account for 83% of Esports Betting in 2025
The companies Kambi and Abios have released the Global Esports Betting Monitor report for the first half of 2025, based on data from Kambi, which collaborates with over 50 operators in regulated markets worldwide.
Esports Betting Leaders: CS2 and League of Legends
Counter-Strike 2 and League of Legends remain the primary market drivers, together generating 83% of the global esports betting turnover.
- CS2 — 57.2% of total turnover
- League of Legends — 26.1%
These titles not only dominate betting volume but also demonstrate high monetization efficiency:
| Game | Share of Events | Share of Turnover | Monetization Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| CS2 | 40% | 57.2% | 1.42x |
| League of Legends | 21.7% | 26.1% | 1.20x |
| Valorant | 15.8% | 4.8% | 0.30x |
Weakening Dota 2 and Growing Interest in Valorant and Call of Duty
Dota 2 continues to lose market share, falling to 8.7% in H1 2025 (down from 10% a year earlier and 14% in 2023).
Valorant is strengthening its position, capturing 4.8% of global turnover. Call of Duty showed growth from 1.7% to 2.9%, driven mainly by interest in North America.
Betting Geography: Who Bets Where
North America
- 42.3% of turnover comes from League of Legends
- 11.5% from Valorant (double the share seen in other regions)
- 12.2% from Call of Duty, almost entirely concentrated in this region
- Regional share of global turnover declined to 4.3% (down from 4.9% the previous year)
Latin America
This region showed the highest growth, rising from 8.1% to 10.3% (a 27% increase). It accounts for 21% of all bets placed, indicating frequent but smaller wagers on average.
Europe and Oceania
- Europe: 74% of global turnover and 72.5% of total bets
- Oceania: just 2.7% of global turnover, but 22.8% of Dota 2 turnover
Why Are CS2 and League of Legends Winning?
Esports operators increasingly favor games that:
- Offer a regular schedule of matches (e.g., Valorant’s VCT)
- Provide official data sources (like Riot Games)
- Have international reach and high liquidity (CS2 and LoL tournaments)
Games with unstable formats—such as Rainbow Six or Overwatch—are gradually fading from operators’ focus. All other titles combined make up only 12% of the market.
Riot Games and the Growth of Legal Betting
Leading publisher Riot Games is actively developing its betting ecosystem. In 2025, it began allowing teams to partner with bookmakers under strict conditions:
- Brand verification — only licensed operators are permitted
- Official data usage — partners must rely exclusively on Riot’s data
- Profit reinvestment — earnings must be reinvested into prize pools, tournaments, and integrity systems
As a Riot representative stated, these measures aim to boost transparency and engagement in the regulated betting market.
Riot games already lead the industry in betting volume: according to Sportradar, around $11 billion was wagered on League of Legends and Valorant in 2024, compared to an estimated $3 billion for the entire esports sector.
Trends for 2025
Winners
- CS2 and League of Legends continue to grow
- Riot Games expands the legal betting ecosystem
- Call of Duty gains momentum in North America
Losers
- Dota 2 loses ground
- Second-tier games (Overwatch, Rocket League, R6) drop out of the top rankings
Unless publishers revise their tournament formats and data support, their market shares will likely continue to decline despite having active fan bases.
Conclusion
The esports betting market in 2025 continues to rapidly concentrate around a few key titles. CS2 and League of Legends show steady growth, while more niche games lose favor with bookmakers.
Riot Games sets a new standard in regulation and market engagement, turning legal betting into a significant growth driver for esports.