Valorant gambling continues to grow in 2025, here’s why

Valorant has maintained its status as a popular gambling esport as new numbers reveal its 2024 spike wasn’t temporary.

A Sharpr report published on July 24, 2025, has revealed that Valorant is continuing its climb as a popular betting subject well into 2025. This confirms expectations that the game would become a betting mainstay, mirroring Counter-Strike’s massive popularity. The continued growth could be pushed even further in 2026 thanks to policy changes by developer Riot Games. While its explosive growth last year hasn’t subsided, Valorant’s betting volumes still sit below the big three of CS2, League of Legends, and Dota 2.

The new data comes from Kambi, a betting solutions provider that is partnered with more than 50 global operators. The data shows which games are most popular with bettors and compares them with rates from previous years. The graph below indicates betting handle, which is the total amount of money bet on a given esport.

While Counter-Strike is still the clear leader in esports gambling, Valorant’s year-over-year growth has continued past its initial spike in 2024. It now represents 4.8% of all esports handle, placing it above several other popular titles. Valorant’s growth in 2024 could be attributed to its developing competitive circuit and rising popularity with casual gamers. Bettors may be more inclined to wager on a stable esports scene over one that is still developing. Note that Counter-Strike is the oldest esport within the top three while Dota 2 is technically the youngest, excluding the original Warcraft 3 mod.

Image Credit: Sharpr

In North America, the total percentage of money wagered on Valorant is more than double the rest of the world at 11.5%. The game appears to be more popular in North America than in Europe, though regional player counts for Valorant are not publicly available. Riot is ultimately a North American company, which could influence regional player counts. It’s also possible that American League of Legends bettors are more likely to bet on Riot’s other competitive titles.

Why is gambling on Valorant becoming popular?

Valorant’s continued popularity as a gambling esport can be attributed to its similarity to Counter-Strike and recent policy shifts by Riot Games.

Counter-Strike is the most popular betting esport in the world for many reasons. It has a long competitive history, and is the oldest competitive title included in Kambi’s data. It’s also internationally popular, with the game achieving success all over Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. Its stats-heavy gameplay is ideal for prop bets, and the game’s skin distribution system is arguably a form of gambling in its own right.

Image Credit: Riot, Valve

Valorant shares many of those traits. As a tactical shooter, it’s easy to break down players’ performances into raw numbers. As a Riot title, it quickly achieved popularity all over the world. However, it’s missing the same competitive history as Counter-Strike. The title officially released on June 2, 2020, giving it just over five years of history. Its complex gameplay may also make it a little less casual-friendly than Counter-Strike, with agent abilities sometimes making big plays difficult to parse.

Recent changes by Valorant developer Riot Games may further boost its gambling popularity. On June 26, 2025, Riot announced that top Valorant and League of Legends teams will be able to accept betting sponsorships for the first time. This would allow bookies to directly advertise to Valorant fans using their favorite players as a vehicle for engagement.

While it still lags behind more established competitive titles, Valorant’s maturing esports scene and Riot’s new gambling-friendly policies could result in an even bigger boost in 2026.