Esports Betting Reaches a Turning Point: What the 2025 Data Means for Irish Punters
If you've been paying attention to the online betting landscape over the past few years, you'll have noticed esports creeping steadily into the mainstream. But a comprehensive new report from Oddin.gg — an esports betting ecosystem provider that processes billions of bets annually — suggests that 2025 wasn't just another year of incremental growth. It was a turning point. And for Irish punters who are curious about esports betting, or who are already dipping their toes in, the data reveals some genuinely fascinating shifts in how this market is maturing.
As someone who analyses betting markets and financial trends in the iGaming industry, I find the Oddin.gg 2025 report particularly compelling because it moves beyond headline growth figures to examine the structural changes happening beneath the surface. Let me walk you through what the data shows — and what it means for you as an Irish bettor.
The Headline Numbers: Sustained, Broad-Based Growth
First, the headline figures, because they are genuinely impressive. Across the five major esports titles tracked in the Oddin.gg report, betting volume growth in 2025 was substantial:
- Counter-Strike 2: Betting volume up 30%, bet count up 23%
- Dota 2: Betting volume up 31%, bet count up 12%
- League of Legends: Betting volume up 46%, bet count up 32%
- VALORANT: Betting volume up 18%, bet count up 10%
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang: Betting volume up 62%, bet count up 41%
The median across all titles was 31% volume growth and 23% bet count growth. These are not the numbers of a niche market finding its feet — these are the numbers of a vertical that has genuinely arrived.
But here's where it gets interesting. The report's most significant finding isn't the growth itself — it's the divergence in what's driving that growth across different titles.
The Big Shift: From Tournaments to Teams
Traditionally, esports betting has been event-driven. Big tournaments — the League of Legends World Championship, Dota 2's The International, CS2 Majors — generate spikes in betting activity, and then things quiet down between events. This is a pattern that will be familiar to anyone who bets on traditional sports: the Champions League final draws far more attention than a mid-season league fixture.
But the Oddin.gg data shows that this pattern is changing, particularly in Counter-Strike 2. The report identifies a clear shift toward team-driven loyalty, where "matches with popular lineups generate consistent volume regardless of tournament tier." In other words, bettors are following their favourite teams throughout the season, not just showing up for the marquee events.
Marek Suchar, Oddin.gg's managing director and co-founder, puts it well: "The conversation around esports betting has fundamentally shifted. It's no longer about expansion across esports as a whole. It's about understanding that you're managing a portfolio of titles, each with distinct growth potential and bettor behaviour."
For Irish punters, this is significant. It means that esports betting is becoming more like traditional sports betting — where knowledge of teams, form, and player dynamics gives informed bettors a genuine edge over casual participants.
Average Stakes Are Rising — A Sign of Maturing Bettors
One of the most telling indicators of market maturity is the rise in average stakes. The Oddin.gg report documents notable increases at flagship events:
- League of Legends World Championship: Average stake up 166% year-on-year to €77
- VALORANT Champions: Average stake of €47
- Dota 2's The International: Average stake of €28
These figures tell a story of bettors who are becoming more confident and more committed. The recreational punter placing a €5 flutter is still there, but they're increasingly joined by more serious bettors who have done their research and are willing to back their analysis with meaningful stakes.
From a financial analysis perspective, this is exactly what you'd expect to see in a market transitioning from early adoption to mainstream acceptance. The same pattern played out in traditional sports betting markets over decades — and esports is compressing that timeline significantly.
Live Betting Dominates — And That's a Double-Edged Sword
The Oddin.gg report confirms what many experienced esports bettors already know: live betting now accounts for the majority of activity across all five titles, ranging from roughly 70% to over 85% depending on the game.
This makes intuitive sense. Esports are real-time competitions where momentum shifts happen quickly and information is visible to all viewers simultaneously. The ability to watch a match unfold and place bets based on what you're seeing — a team's economy in CS2, a draft advantage in Dota 2, a Baron steal in League of Legends — creates a uniquely engaging betting experience.
However, I want to flag something important for Irish punters considering esports live betting: the speed and intensity of in-play betting can make it particularly challenging to maintain discipline. The same features that make it exciting — rapid odds movements, constant action, the feeling of being "in the moment" — can also make it easier to chase losses or bet impulsively.
My strong recommendation: set a session budget before you start, and stick to it. Our responsible gambling guide has practical tools for managing your betting activity, and many of the top-rated casinos we recommend offer deposit and loss limits that apply across all betting activity, including esports.
Player Markets: The New Frontier
One of the most exciting developments highlighted in the Oddin.gg report is the explosive growth of player- and utility-based markets in Counter-Strike 2. These markets — which allow bettors to wager on individual player performance rather than just match outcomes — grew by up to 80% between major events.
This is the esports equivalent of player prop bets in traditional sports: will a specific player score a goal, take more than X shots, or record a certain number of assists? In CS2, the equivalent might be: will a specific player achieve more than 20 kills, or will they be the top fragger in a particular map?
For knowledgeable bettors, player markets offer genuine opportunities to apply expertise. If you follow a specific team closely and understand individual player tendencies, form, and matchup dynamics, you have an informational advantage that casual bettors don't. This is where esports betting starts to reward genuine knowledge rather than just luck.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang — The Dark Horse
The standout performer in the Oddin.gg report is Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), a title that may be less familiar to Irish audiences but is enormous in Southeast Asia. With betting volume up 62% and bet count up 41%, MLBB delivered the strongest relative growth of all five titles covered.
What's particularly interesting about MLBB's growth model is that it's driven primarily by regional leagues rather than global championships. As Suchar notes: "That proves regional-first models can work at scale." Consistent domestic competition — weekly regional leagues that run year-round — creates sustained betting activity that doesn't depend on infrequent mega-events.
For Irish punters, MLBB is probably not the first place to start your esports betting journey. But it's worth being aware of as the market continues to globalise. The welcome bonuses offered by many sportsbooks increasingly include esports markets, and MLBB is appearing more frequently in those offerings.
What the "Portfolio Approach" Means for Irish Bettors
The central thesis of the Oddin.gg report — that esports betting should be approached as a portfolio of distinct titles rather than a single homogeneous market — has direct implications for how Irish punters should think about their esports betting strategy.
Each title has its own dynamics:
- Counter-Strike 2 is the most mature market, with deep liquidity, sophisticated player markets, and year-round team-driven engagement. Best for bettors who want to develop genuine expertise.
- League of Legends offers the highest average stakes at flagship events and strong live betting action. The World Championship is a marquee event that attracts significant betting volume.
- Dota 2 has The International as its emotional and commercial centrepiece, with peak concurrent viewership of around 1.8 million. Combination markets have seen significant recreational volume growth.
- VALORANT is a maturing market with growing infrastructure and a dedicated competitive scene.
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is an earlier-stage vertical with strong growth potential, primarily driven by Southeast Asian regional leagues.
The smart approach is to pick one or two titles, learn them deeply, and focus your betting activity there rather than spreading yourself thin across all five. Depth of knowledge beats breadth every time in betting markets.
Finding the Right Platform for Esports Betting in Ireland
If you're ready to explore esports betting, choosing the right platform matters enormously. Look for sportsbooks that offer:
- Comprehensive coverage of your chosen esports titles, including live betting markets
- Player and utility markets, not just match winner bets
- Competitive odds — esports margins can vary significantly between operators
- Responsible gambling tools including deposit limits and self-exclusion options
- Licensing from reputable authorities such as the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) or the UK Gambling Commission
Our casino and sportsbook reviews include detailed assessments of esports betting offerings, and our betting guides cover everything from understanding odds formats to managing your bankroll effectively.
The Bottom Line: Esports Betting Is Now a Serious Market
The Oddin.gg 2025 report makes one thing abundantly clear: esports betting has graduated from novelty to mainstream. The growth figures are impressive, but more importantly, the structural changes — rising average stakes, team-driven loyalty, sophisticated player markets, live betting dominance — all point to a market that is developing the depth and complexity of traditional sports betting.
For Irish punters, this represents a genuine opportunity. Esports betting rewards knowledge and research, and the Irish betting community has always had a strong tradition of informed, engaged punters. The key is to approach it with the same discipline and responsibility you'd bring to any form of betting.
Set your limits, do your research, choose regulated platforms, and enjoy the ride. Esports betting in 2025 and beyond is going to be very interesting indeed.
Clara Byrne is Finance & Bonuses Analyst at Irish Fortune, with a background in financial services and 5 years of experience in the iGaming industry.
