2024 was something of a watershed year in betting, as we saw new launches and vast expansion in many territories around the world.
increased trend towards regulation is leading to betting coming out into the open
There’s no doubt that the increased trend towards regulation is leading to betting coming out into the open and becoming more normalized, and with that comes plenty of opportunities for sharp bettors.
Looking forward to 2025, as trends continue, here are some of the best emerging opportunities to look out for for the year ahead.
Prediction markets
After some controversy in the lead up to the 2024 US presidential election, it looks as though prediction markets are here to stay. Polymarket may remain closed to US customers, but Kalshi is fully operational for any Americans wanting to get involved.
as an immature market, there are likely to be plenty of great opportunities for sharp bettors
With DraftKings also exploring the possibility of prediction markets, it’s an area that we can expect to see major growth in next year. As an immature market, there are likely to be plenty of great opportunities for sharp bettors to take advantage of the early money.
The election behaved like a much more liquid and efficient betting market than it should have been on sites such as Kalshi, given the overwhelming public interest and endless polling. With more markets introduced, there are bound to be plenty of opportunities. When daily fantasy sports first took off in the US, there were plenty of easy pickings to be had, and we expect prediction markets to be much the same.
New licensed sites
With the growth of unlicensed gray market crypto betting sites, many countries around the world have realized that restrictions on online gambling are becoming unenforceable. As a result, there’s a major worldwide trend towards regulating gambling to keep it safe and give countries much-needed tax revenue.
people around the world can expect new betting sites to open up in their jurisdictions in 2025
That’s great news for a lot of bettors in territories that place heavy restrictions on gambling, and it likely means that people around the world can expect new betting sites to open up in their jurisdictions in 2025. With new options comes new markets, and especially the opportunity to collect new sign-up bonuses.
Bonuses are competitive at the best of times, but they can really ramp up when a flood of new sites enter a market at the same time. Next year is definitely a great time to be keeping an eye on what any fresh entrants to your area are offering for new customers.
The classics
With new sites and new markets coming in, you can also expect fresh takes and bonuses for the classic calendar highlights of the year. For the likes of March Madness, the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby, betting sites are constantly trying to outdo each other to present the most lucrative markets available for sports bettors.
2025 isn’t an Olympic year, nor will it feature major international sporting events like the FIFA World Cup, so you can expect sites to push hard on their annual stalwarts. Keep an eye out for the best tips, bonuses, and promotions running during the big events and you could find huge value.
The growth of eSports
eSports betting is expected to generate over a billion dollars of revenue per year before 2029, and its rapid growth has been mirrored by betting sites offering great chances to get involved in the market.
Many of the top betting sites will now allow you to livestream the games you’re betting on from their website, making in-play gambling easy to get on board with. Riot Games is also now allowing its teams to sign betting sponsors, opening potential new areas of growth for popular games like Valorant.
it’s a great chance to get involved in new markets where you might find yourself an edge
Secondly, with new games being released and even older games being resurrected, it’s a great chance to get involved in new markets where you might find an edge. Classic games which have been around for decades like Age of Empires II have returned to serious eSports and are available on betting markets, so you may find an old favorite coming to the fore.
Growing online communities
With the continued growth and proliferation of online gambling, you can also find plenty of groups with which to get involved where bettors share tips and strategies. Some of these are highly regarded paid groups, but many are free to join.
In addition to finding new betting ideas, you’ll also have the advantage of participating in a community of users all wagering on the same event. It’s the same appeal that keeps people coming back to watch streamers and participate in other online communities – and it’s a great way to make things more fun rather than being a lone wolf.
Non-sports betting
While some US states had previously restricted exactly what could be wagered on, the US election proved a watershed moment and led to the growth of bets ranging from the controversial to the bizarre.
There are plenty of wagers you could place on the SuperBowl, but you can also now even wager on the color of the Gatorade in the post-match celebrations, the length of the national anthem, or the setlist for the halftime show. Add that to more traditional non-sports betting like the Academy Awards, reality TV, and even space exploration and technology, and you have more exciting markets than ever.