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Global Esports Betting Monitor: Q4 & FY24
The Global Esports Betting Monitor is a quarterly report developed in partnership with Abios, providing our readers with a holistic snapshot of esports betting trends and activity.
All data is captured from the Kambi network, spanning more than 40 operators in regulated markets across the globe.1
Abios delivers an odds feed with engaging features such as same-game bet builders, player props, and flash markets.
Valorant betting up year-on-year in FY24
- Valorant’s share of esports betting handle nearly doubled on a full-year basis, growing from 3% to 5% between 2023-2024.
- Counter-Strike reached a new apex in the fourth quarter, courting 64% of total betting handle.
- On a full-year basis, Dota 2 handle dropped 4% from FY23; meanwhile, League of Legends’ share grew by 2%, accounting for 26% in FY24.
Gen Z esports bettors outpace Millennials in FY24
- While the average esports fan has continued to age up over the years, Gen Z-aged bettors are entering the betting pipeline in droves.
- Gen Z bettors outpaced Millennials in FY24–making up 44% of betting compared to 36% the year prior.
- Together, customers between 18-43 made up 87% of esports betting last year, while Gen X continued to float between 11-13%.
Prop bets gain traction among Counter-Strike bettors
- Breakout insights show the average age of a Counter-Strike bettor in Q4 was 31-years old; League of Legends, on the other hand, attracted a slightly younger customer (possibly by way of its World Championship event), averaging out at 29-years old.
- Player prop bets, including ‘total kills by player,’ made up 13% of all Counter-Strike wagers in the fourth quarter.
- Live betting accounted for 46% of Counter-Strike betting in Q4; meanwhile only 28% of Valorant wagers were placed in-play.
Shanghai Major, World Championship net close to half of Q4 betting action
- Between the main event and its international qualifiers, Counter-Strike’s Shanghai Major captured 28% of fourth quarter betting handle.
- One of the most-watched esports events globally, the League of Legends World Championship, accounted for 19% of handle in Q4, up from 15% in 4Q23.
- Dota 2 tournaments DreamLeague and PGL Wallachia landed in the top-ten most-bet on events in Q4, collectively drawing 5% of wagering volume.
Trendspotting
Trending up: Riot Games’ temperature to gambling
Riot Games–the publisher behind top games including League of Legends and Valorant–is warming up to gambling.
While other publishers such as Valve and Activision have flirted with betting plenty in the past, Riot Games has long maintained keeping itself at arm’s length.
That changed in Q4 when the publisher revealed it would allow partnered teams to strike deals with Riot-approved betting brands in 2025. There are plenty of stipulations attached, but it’s a signal that Riot’s outlook on gambling is starting to soften up.
There are mutual incentives to do so, though. Esports teams will unlock much-needed sponsorship revenue, while betting operators will have access to what many would consider prime advertising real estate. And of course, there’s the impossible-to-prove-yet-widely-understood belief that betting drives viewership, interest, and engagement back to the rights holders.
League of Legends and Valorant combined made up nearly one-third (31%) of betting handle in FY24 (up from 27% in FY23), and this change in policy may very well drive that figure further up in the coming years as more betting awareness is created.
Trending down: Dota 2
Interest in Dota 2 is waning, and operators are potentially feeling it too.
I was surprised to see that the game’s marquee tournament The International (think: Super Bowl of Dota 2) drew just 3% of wagers last quarter. The downtick was pronounced on a full-year basis as well; Dota 2’s total share of handle dropped to 10% in FY24 compared to 14% the year prior.
The dip could be explained by other additive volume–a boom in new customers or increased betting on other esports–but broader audience trends suggest to me that’s not the case.
The International is a good barometer for interest in competitive Dota 2, and results from last year’s headline event show which direction things seem to be moving in. After setting a viewership record in 2021 with 107M hours watched, ratings have continued to slide. Last year’s tournament viewership was down nearly 50% from the 2021 event, while the 2022 and 2023 editions both came below 70M hours watched each (-38%).
The International’s prize winnings are crowdfunded by players through in-game transactions–in 2021, the event secured a record $40M to be distributed to winners. Since then however, the tournament has seen a 53% average month-over-month decrease in its prize pool–last year’s purse was just $2.5M.
Whatever ground Dota 2 is losing, Valorant seems to be picking up, though. If things continue to trend in this direction, we may see the first-person shooter overtake Dota 2’s position as one of the top-three most-bet on esports next year.
The post Global Esports Betting Monitor: Q4 & FY24 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Inspired Expands Netherlands Footprint with Starcasino Partnership
Inspired Entertainment, Inc., a leading provider of B2B gaming content, systems, and solutions, has announced the launch of its top-performing iGaming content in the Netherlands with Starcasino, an established online casino and sportsbook brand in Belgium, and that is now expanding into the Dutch market.
Following its success in Belgium, Starcasino is rapidly expanding its footprint in the Netherlands’ iGaming market. The partnership provides Starcasino access to Inspired’s top-performing titles, offering Dutch players an enhanced online casino experience driven by Inspired’s high-quality iGaming content, which has demonstrated proven results.
Through this collaboration, Starcasino’s Dutch customers can now enjoy a wide range of Inspired’s most popular titles including high performers such as, Big Bonus™, Stacked Fire 7’s™, Big Piggy Bank™, Golden Winner™, Big Bonus Booster™ with additional game launches planned throughout the year.
“We’re thrilled to bring our best-in-class games to Starcasino as they grow their presence in the Netherlands,” said Claire Osborne, VP of Interactive at Inspired. “Our proven content resonates strongly with European audiences, and we’re confident it will support Starcasino’s momentum in this exciting and competitive market.”
“Partnering with Inspired is a major step in our Dutch expansion,” said Pieter van den Bos, Director at Starcasino. “Inspired’s diverse portfolio, featuring seasonal favourites, unique mechanics and classic themes, will greatly enrich the gaming experience for our players. This launch underscores our commitment to growth in the regulated Netherlands iGaming space.”
The post Inspired Expands Netherlands Footprint with Starcasino Partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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SlotMatrix unleashes divine riches in Fortuna Gold where gods rule the reels
SlotMatrix announces the official launch of Fortuna Gold, set in a mythological odyssey where ancient gods and glittering fortunes await.
Set in a mythical realm where Zeus commands thunder and Fortuna blesses the reels, this six-reel, medium volatility slot sees players seek the blessings of the deities and collect wins, coins, and jackpots.
With a potential 10,000 ways to win, 96% RTP, and the chance to claim up to 5,542 times the player’s stake, Fortuna Gold makes every spin exciting.
The heart of the game lies in the Coin Avalanche mechanic, triggered when the goddess Fortuna symbol lands on both reels 1 and 6. Coins start cascading onto the reels, and players who are lucky enough to fill entire rows, or the entire screen, will win special jackpots including the Grand Jackpot.
Landing four Bonus symbols triggers a Free Spins bonus, where Coin and Thunder symbols make the positions hotter, multiplying the coin’s value. Players can also collect diamonds during this mode. If the goddess Fortuna deems a player worthy and allows them to collect five diamonds, they win the Grand Jackpot.
Fortuna Gold is available now through SlotMatrix. As with all SlotMatrix titles, the game is enhanced by EveryMatrix’s proprietary gamification features, including free spins, leaderboards, and tournaments, and can be integrated with EngageSuite, the all-in-one player loyalty solution.
The slot was developed by Fantasma Games, a game studio EveryMatrix acquired in October 2024.
Bjorn Sjoberg, COO, SlotMatrix, said: “Fortuna Gold is a heavenly example of the kind of content we always aim to deliver. It is visually stunning, with highly engaging mechanics and a global appeal, designed and delivered by our talented games team. We can’t wait to show you even more in the months to come.”
The post SlotMatrix unleashes divine riches in Fortuna Gold where gods rule the reels appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Estonian start-up vows to revolutionise iGaming customer support with AI
Tugi Tark, which literally translates as ‘smart support’, launches an intelligent platform with AI agents to help online casino operators transform customer service
Estonian start-up Tugi Tark has formally launched with a mission to modernise the iGaming industry’s approach to customer support.
According to the tech disruptor, which is only now emerging from stealth mode, the future of player support will be proactive and automated, rather than reactive and manual.
Tugi Tark uses a combination of large language models, machine learning, and a dataset of over 10 million iGaming customer service tickets resolved over the years.
Tugi Tark’s AI agents, available 24/7, resolve a significant percentage of cases independently, increasing each month as support teams train their AI agents. This streamlines the player experience and frees up human staff to focus on higher-value tasks.
Crucially, the agents can provide support in more than 250 languages, a key advantage for iGaming companies operating across multiple markets. Players are assisted in their native language, without the need for third-party translation tools or region-specific teams — reducing costs and breaking down language barriers.
Players parting with money expect fast, effective support at any time. Tugi Tark’s AI agents address this critical pain point. Slow response times remain one of the biggest frustrations in iGaming customer support — often due to staffing constraints.
Proactive support can improve the player experience across a range of issues, including failed payments. When a deposit fails, Tugi Tark receives an API call from the payment system with the error message. This instantly triggers a relevant chat with the player to clarify the reason and provide a solution. The result: improved customer satisfaction, successful deposits, and lower player churn.
Tugi Tark CEO Harpo Lilja said: “We’re convinced we can help operators transform player support from a cost centre into a strategic competitive advantage.
“Support isn’t just about answering questions. It’s about creating momentum, trust, and loyalty. The quality of customer service is critical — it can make or break a VIP programme.
“With human agents, the support times are inconsistent. Support staffing for a multi-market 24/7 operation is challenging and costly. High churn among staff is common, and the limit of talent is an unfortunate reality.
“Combining both human and AI agents is the solution to the problem. AI agents can resolve many queries independently, and the rest are automatically routed to the most suitable human agent to guarantee a fast and effective resolution.”
Tugi Tark is a remote-first company headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia. The business has doubled its headcount in less than a year and is scaling rapidly to meet growing demand.
Five iGaming clients are set to onboard imminently, with further partnerships to be announced before the end of 2025.
“We understand high-value players, compliance, cost optimisation, player safety, and the nuances of iGaming support — because we’ve lived it,” added Lilja, who brings over a decade of experience in iGaming and a proven track record of elevating customer support across hundreds of brands.
“Every feature is designed to solve real-world challenges: regulatory pressure, global player bases, multi-brand operations, and 24/7 VIP care.”
The post Estonian start-up vows to revolutionise iGaming customer support with AI appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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