No one can deny that the video game industry has transformed from a niche hobby to one of the world’s most lucrative entertainment sectors. With billions of players around the world, the industry is projected to generate jaw-dropping revenue in the next couple of years.
Speaking of revenue, the team at Nostrabet.com found out that the United States and China will dominate the market by 2030 because each will have over $190B in gaming revenue. These numbers are jaw-dropping, but even the stats for 2025 are more than impressive.
Aside from the millions of players who like playing video games, many also follow esports. The latter is one of the fastest-growing segments in the world of sports betting.
Fans no longer focus on playing and watching because many of them also want to wager on their favourite teams. We believe that the world’s top gaming market will play a key role in shaping the future of esports betting, so let’s uncover what you need to know.
The Rise of the Global Gaming Market
The global gaming industry has surpassed many other entertainment sectors. Thanks to the spread of affordable internet and the huge popularity of mobile gaming, video games are gaining new fans daily. That said, not all countries are the same because the gaming industry is much bigger in certain parts of the world.
- If we look at Statista’s 2025 stats, we can see that video game revenue is much higher in some countries.
- The US is the leader with $141.8B, followed closely by China with $137.8B.
- Japan is next with $50.09B, followed by the United Kingdom with $17.7B and South Korea with $14.6B.
- After that, we have Germany with $13.1B, India with $10.1B and France with $9.9B.
It’s safe to say that each of these markets is important for the video game and esports industries. As revenues soar and fan engagement deepens, these countries will also play a key role in the future of Esports betting.
The stats shown above are impressive, but the 2030 predictions are also on another level. Assuming the current trends remain, we will have the following numbers:
- The U.S. video games’ market revenue will jump to $199.3B, whereas the numbers in China will increase to $196.5B.
- Moving to Japan, the latter will reach $64.8B, whereas the UK will have $25.4B.
- South Korea will reach $20B, followed by Germany with $18.1B, India with $15.9B and France with $13.3B.
Each of these countries is essential for the future of Esports and video games, so let’s analyse them.
United States
The U.S. is the world leader in video game revenue and is expected to hold the crown by 2030. The diverse mix of console gaming, PC platforms, and mobile titles fuels the huge growth in the U.S. Of course, we also need to talk about Esports.
- The U.S. is home to some of the most recognised esports titles in the world. Games like Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Overwatch, and many more come from this part of the world. These games have some of the biggest tournaments in terms of prize funds and popularity.
- Since we are also talking about esports betting, the U.S. is hands down the most important country. The leading games attract bettors from around the world because fans enjoy wagering on what they like.
After the legislative changes in the U.S. and the legalization of sports betting, local players can find many operators that offer esports. The leading bookies constantly improve their services and ensure their esports options are on par with what’s offered for traditional sports.
China
China is the only country that can match the United States in terms of revenue. Many of you are probably not surprised by the numbers because of the country’s huge population. Unlike the U.S., however, China focuses more on mobile games than anything else.
With games like Honor of Kigns and PUBG Mobile, China has become one of the leaders in the mobile gaming segment. Even though esports betting is not legal in the country, China will always play an important factor in this industy because many of the games developed there attract bettors worldwide.
Aside from that, China often welcomes a wide variety of top Esports events. Things like the League of Legends World Championship, The International, CS2 Majors, and others have been held or will be held in China. This is very interesting because the country is one of the global powerhouses for esports and gaming, yet sports betting is restricted to local players.
Japan
Japan has always been recognized as a global leader in video games. The country is home to companies like Sega, Nintendo, and Sony, and has shaped the gaming culture. After all, it is the place where titles like Final Fantasy, Pokémon, and Super Mario come from.
What sets Japan apart from other big regions is that most of its video game industry focuses on consoles and PCs. While mobile gaming is growing, it’s not on the same level as that in China, for example.
The situation in Japan regarding esports betting is interesting. Gambling is heavily regulated in the country, and unlike most of its Asian counterparts, Japan does not welcome many big events.
South Korea
Outside of the U.S., South Korea is the most popular country when it comes to Esports. Most of you probably know that South Korea has the best League of Legends players in the world, but it also has solid representatives in Overwatch, PUBG, and several other games.
Seoul’s full of esports and gaming fans and often welcomes multiple major esports events. There’s no arguing these competitions attract millions of bettors, but the interesting fact is that sports betting remains heavily regulated in the country. Esports betting is yet to be legalized, but once that happens, we expect South Korea to become among the leaders in this segment as well.
France, Germany, and the UK
European countries have always played an important role in gaming, esports, and betting.
- Starting with the UK, this is the place with one of the most established online betting markets. The country is home to all of the big online bookmakers, and all of them have excellent esports betting categories. In terms of gaming, the UK often hosts big Counter-Strike and League of Legends events and attracts fans worldwide.
- Moving on to Germany, the country is well-known for hosting all kinds of ESL tournaments for Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and League of Legends. It is also home to many world-class players, such as KuroKy, tOfu, FATA, and more. In terms of betting, Germany is a lot more conservative but there have been recent reforms that began to liberalize online betting.
- Lastly, we have France, a country with some of the best CS2 players in Europe. Paris has welcomed a lot of big esports competitions over the years. As for betting, France is definitely a popular place for iGaming fans but it has some catching up to do.
India
India is a fascinating country when it comes to gaming and esports. Since it has the largest population in the world, it’s also among the fastest-growing markets. With millions of young people interested in both gaming and esports, India has what it takes to become an industry leader.
Nowadays, locals follow all sorts of titles like Free Fire and Valorant. Regarding betting, players can access different sites that allow them to punt on all kinds of things. The betting laws are very dynamic, so it will be interesting to see what’s going to happen in the future.
Future Outlook
Considering the growth of gaming and esports, the industry giants are increasingly turning to betting partnerships. We can already see this happening because companies like Riot Games have decided to reverse their prohibition of gambling sponsorship. This means that some of the best League of Legends and Valorant teams can engage with sports betting brands.
Due to these changes, betting innovations are also accelerating. Nowadays, bookmakers offer much more than standard esports betting. People can choose from a wide range of markets, bet on live events, access competitive in-play odds, and more.
Speaking of esports betting, we also have to address AI. The latter is reshaping the iGaming niche by providing personalized betting experiences, additional security, and more. The good news is that esports bookies are more innovative, so they use AI more than others.
Alongside the regions mentioned so far, many parts of the world are also becoming increasingly popular for esports betting. Brazil, for example, started its federal esports betting framework in 2025. As a result, many licensed operators in the country offer quality options.
Conclusion
Despite some of the challenges the gaming industry is going through, the stats do not lie. Companies worldwide earn billions of dollars per year, and thanks to esports betting, these numbers will increase even more.
With rising investments, improved regulation, and the use of new tech, esports betting will soon become a key component in the board gaming industry. The next couple of years will be very interesting because we expect tons of innovations.
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