We can all agree that sports betting is way more popular today in almost all parts of the world than it was before. New sites become available daily, and existing operators provide more sports and markets, better odds, and new features. Although sports betting is big in several jurisdictions, we can see that some are in a league of their own.
Speaking of sports betting and its popularity, Nostrabet.com shows that the global revenue is projected to reach $114B by the end of 2025. Not only that, but experts believe the industry could reach $153B by 2029, a jaw-dropping number.
As mentioned, sports betting is growing worldwide, but the UK and the US are usually among the leaders. These two countries are very interesting because they have different histories in sports betting. The UK is one of the most well-established places for sports betting, whereas the US experienced a rapid post-2018 expansion after the PASPA repeal. It’s intriguing to compare the two, so let’s dive in.
Market Size & Revenue
One of the first big differences between the UK and the US is the size of their markets. Everyone with experience in iGaming and sports betting knows that the UK has one of the most developed markets. Regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, the country has all kinds of online bookies that provide various services.
The stats for the UK reveal that the overall betting and gaming gross yield for 2023/24 is 15.1B GBP, and online betting contributes around 40% of that amount. This is because the UK has many different sports betting shops that have loyal fans from around the country. In terms of betting options, football is in the lead, followed by horse racing, tennis, esports, and more.
The US definitely has a more interesting betting landscape. After the Supreme Court case in 2018, States had the freedom to decide if they wanted to regulate sports betting. A few years later, 38 states and Washington, D.C., legalised it. As a result, the US online sports betting market in 2025 is projected to reach $53.8B.
What’s impressive is that in the first five months of 2025 alone, sports betting operators in the US handled close to $46.3B in bets. This shows that the US sports betting market is on another level.
Average Bet Size & Frequency
When you put the UK and the US side by side, you can see some interesting differences. The sports betting market in the UK is characterised by people placing smaller but more frequent bets (they are often below 20 GBP). In the US, however, people tend to wager more money ($50+) but often have fewer bets per bettor.
One of the main reasons for the differences is cultural habits. We also have to mention the availability of micro-betting in the UK, something that is yet to grow in popularity in the US.
Mobile & Online Dominance
The next topic we want to discuss when comparing the UK and the US in terms of sports betting is mobile and online dominance. In the UK, close to 80% of the bets are placed online, which is probably not surprising. Since this is a mature market, people are used to relying on their handheld devices to wager on what they want. In terms of popular operators, you have brands like Bet365, William Hill, and many more.
Moving to the US, some stats show that 84% of bets are placed on mobile platforms. You can find many different operators in the country, but names like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM usually dominate this space. DraftKings, for example, is projected to reach between $6.3B and $6.6B in sales in 2025.
Keep in mind that every state in the US is different in terms of revenue. Generally speaking, New York and New Jersey are leading the chart with billions in monthly handling, but other states are also getting close.
Regulation and Taxation
The situation with the regulation of the sports betting industry is interesting and completely different in both countries. In the UK, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is behind everything and regulates all betting activities. In other words, any site wishing to operate in this market needs a permit from this entity. When it comes to taxes, operators have to pay a 21% remote gaming duty on their profits.
The regulatory system is much more interesting in the US. Instead of having one national entity responsible for the licensing regime, every state has different regulatory rules. The same is true for the tax rate, which can range between 6% and 51%.
Aside from the regulations regarding the gambling permits, each state has different policies when it comes to responsible gambling. Some allocate less than 3% of the tax revenue to these kinds of programs, whereas others invest more in promoting it.
Cultural Differences
The next important topic we should compare when it comes to the UK and the US is the cultural differences between the two. Since the UK has a more mature sports betting industry, it’s safe to say that it is integrated into daily sports culture. You can find all kinds of sports betting shops around the country offering live odds during broadcasts, different ads, and more.
Horse racing, in particular, is huge in the UK and a very popular betting option. In fact, things like the Grand National generate millions of bets annually. They have become the go-to option for both online and land-based bettors.
The situation in the US is very different because it’s a relatively new market for regulated sports betting. That said, thanks to events like the Super Bowl, bettors wager billions of dollars (both legally and illegally).
Alongside American football, locals also like prop bets and wager in in-play markets on NFL and NBA games. Many bookies offer better options for these sports so that more people can choose them.
Betting Trends
Due to the rising popularity of sports betting worldwide, betting trends have shifted significantly in the last couple of years. Pre-match betting was the go-to option in the UK (and many other parts of the world) because it offered more options than the rest. Nowadays, most UK bettors are shifting to in-play betting because the stats show that around 50% of all online bets are on live markets.
It is probably no surprise that people like live betting because of many reasons, one of which is the live streaming feature. It was not available before, but nowadays, you can watch many live sports events in real-time. This allows people to have a much better experience overall and makes live betting way more popular.
Live betting is also big in the US, but local punters are also embracing same-game parlays. Some stats reveal that those things contribute to over 30% of the handle for NBA and NFL games, and they are becoming even more popular in the future.
Alongside these parlays and live streaming, both UK and US bookies are integrating AI-powered betting tools into their offers. Many sites also have micro-markets, personalized betting offers, and all kinds of small options to make their platforms look more appealing.
Challenges & Future Outlook
Despite the fact that the iGaming industry is growing in popularity, no one can deny that both the US and the UK are facing different challenges. In the UK, for example, some people push for strict affordability checks and increased scrutiny on advertising. The latest data from most responsible gambling authorities reveal that a lot more people have gambling-related issues, so it’s no surprise locals want some changes.
Speaking of changes, the betting tax is another hot topic that a lot of people are interested in. Some believe it should be more than 21%, but we will have to wait and see if it will change.
The US also faces many difficulties related to sports betting. Since the market is relatively new compared to the UK, some statistics show that 1 in 4 bettors report financial issues due to gambling. As a result, there are rising concerns about problem gambling, and many people urge the local authorities to step up their game.
In terms of future outlook, the US is the more interesting place. Although many states have yet to legalize sports betting, the ones that do are competing for revenue. The statistics for 2025 show that more than $150B will be wagered in this year alone.
Conclusion
All in all, both the UK and the US are some of the most interesting betting markets worldwide. They have similarities but also come with big differences.
As mentioned, the UK is a mature and stable market that focuses on regulation and responsible gambling. The US, on the other hand, is a booming market with explosive growth but still refining its regulatory framework.
Considering both countries’ population and overall wealth, the US will most likely outperform the UK in terms of revenue. It will be interesting to see the stats several years from now. We expect even more states in the US to open their doors to sports betting.
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