These were the biggest betting moments of 2025 – striking shifts visible
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10 Jan 2026 •
Reading time: 2 minutes One moment a classic horse racing event, the other an American final with millions of viewers. The top tier of the world’s biggest bets is remarkably broad, according to new research by Entain.
Grand National again at number one
The British horse race Grand National is once again the most bet-on sporting event globally within the Entain group in 2025. In second place is the Super Bowl, followed by The Masters, the prestigious golf tournament in Augusta. The full list shows that sports betting is no longer limited to one sport or one region.
Greg Ferris, Managing Director Sports at Entain, sees it as proof of global engagement:
“From Cheltenham to the Libertadores final, this list shows that our customers have passions that transcend the borders of sports and continents.”
Golf climbs up, football remains stable
Strikingly, golf has conquered the third spot with The Masters. With this, it even leaves the Champions League final behind. Football remains strongly present, with the Club World Cup, Nations League, and the Copa Libertadores in the top 20, among others.
Club matches also score high. The clash between Manchester United and Liverpool even appears twice in the top 50. It confirms that top duels from the Premier League draw global attention.
NFL grows beyond the US
The popularity of the NFL is not limited to North America. Super Bowl 59 sits at number two, but the AFC and NFC finals also rank high. Even two regular season games made the top 20, pointing to a growing international fanbase for American football.
Horse races, meanwhile, retain their fixed spot. Besides the Grand National, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Scottish Grand National are also in the top 25.
The list is based on data from Entain’s global betting platforms, including BetMGM in the US. Some European countries and Australia were excluded from the analysis, but it still provides a powerful picture of global engagement with sport.
In Belgium, Entain owns Ladbrokes. Entain is considering closing local Ladbrokes betting agencies to favor the development of its digital platforms, which are more profitable and less restrictive.