Viewership does not equal betting demand as esports betting becomes a two-title market, MightyTips analysis finds

MightyTips.com has published a new esports betting trends analysis examining how betting activity differs from esports viewership across the world's leading competitive gaming titles.

The analysis finds that esports betting demand is increasingly concentrated around Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) and League of Legends (LoL), which together account for more than 80% of global esports betting activity. While LoL remains one of the strongest esports titles by viewership, CS2 leads betting volume, showing that audience size alone does not determine wagering demand.

Key findings from the MightyTips analysis include:

• CS2 accounts for around 57% of global esports betting volume
• LoL follows with around 27%, making it the second-largest esports betting title
• Together, CS2 and LoL represent around 84% of esports betting handle
• Dota 2 has declined to around 7-8% of betting handle, despite its long-standing position in competitive gaming

The findings show that betting demand depends on more than fan numbers. Tournament frequency, bookmaker coverage, market liquidity, match formats, and live betting availability all influence how strongly an esports title converts viewership into betting activity.

Industry estimates put global esports betting revenue at around $2.5 billion in 2024 and around $2.8 billion in 2025, but the market's growth is not being shared evenly across all major titles.

CS2 benefits from a packed international tournament calendar, frequent top-tier events, and betting markets that are easy for sportsbooks and bettors to follow. LoL combines huge global audiences with structured regional leagues and major international competitions.

Other titles, such as Dota 2, Valorant, Mobile Legends, and Call of Duty, remain important parts of the esports ecosystem, but their betting share is smaller or more regionally concentrated.

"The esports betting market is maturing, but it is not spreading evenly across all major games," said Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR at MightyTips. "Our analysis shows that betting demand is concentrating around titles with frequent tournaments, strong bookmaker coverage, and high market liquidity. For operators, the key lesson is clear: esports strategy should not be built on viewership numbers alone."

Methodology
The MightyTips analysis reviewed publicly available data from esports betting suppliers, tournament databases, viewership analytics platforms, and market research sources, including Abios, Sharpr, Esports Charts, Liquipedia, SiGMA, and other industry references. The analysis compared betting handle, viewership, tournament prize pools, regional distribution, and common betting markets across leading esports titles.

The full analysis is available on MightyTips.