With the widespread popularization of smartphones and fast broadband services, online gambling in particular has grown to become one of the most lucrative industries in the world. Online sports betting has attracted new punters from across Brazil, and operators are fighting for market share, which means there have never been so many options for sports bettors to choose from.
To highlight just how significant sports betting has become, let’s look at the numbers. In the online and offline world of sports betting, the numbers are huge, with some of the biggest betting conglomerates boasting hundreds of thousands of customers across the world. Sports betting accounts for around 30-40% of the global gambling market, which also includes lotteries, casinos, poker and other games. It is estimated that more than R$150 million are invested in betting throughout Brazil annually.
All of the above aspects mean that sportsbooks like Bodog have to stand out from the crowd to attract new users. One way to do this is to have as many sports markets available to bet on as possible. Brazil is full of passionate sports fans, so betting sites should ensure they are offering odds and markets on all major national and international sports and leagues.
Below, we list the professional sports and leagues that stand out in the world of sports betting and that are available to Brazilian bettors at Bodog, one of the main sports betting houses today.
Soccer
As football is the most popular and most played sport around the world, it seems only logical that it would be on this list. In the UK, it is estimated that over £1 billion is wagered on football online. It is difficult, however, to obtain accurate statistics for the global market as there are so many unregulated markets, but as major events attract hundreds of millions of spectators, the actual amount of football betting must be immense.
European football is undoubtedly the main highlight among the football markets available at Bodog. It is possible to bet on important competitions such as the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League, as well as less prominent domestic leagues such as the Portuguese Primeira Liga and the Swedish Allsvenskan. There are numerous markets available, and bettors can choose from a variety of bet types, from the winner of the match to special bets such as the first player to score or the number of corners in the match.
Brazilian and South American football is also very relevant at Bodog; Brazilian bettors can choose from the main competitions in the country and the continent, such as the Brazilian Championship and CONMEBOL Libertadores, and bet on a multitude of different markets.
American football
American football is the most popular sport in the United States and the second most popular in the world of sports betting, behind only soccer. Professional football generates the most betting volume, with each NFL game attracting a lot of attention and betting action.
Punters can also bet on NCAA college football, with all types of bets available from match winners to live bets.
Tennis
This will likely come as a surprise to many, but tennis is the third most popular sport in the world to bet on. The number of major events and tournaments and the ease of understanding and placing bets are some of the factors that contribute to the popularity of tennis in the betting world.
The four main tournaments of the tennis season – the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open – known as the Grand Slams, attract millions of bettors from all over the world, and names like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic move a good part of the tennis bets.
Basketball
Basketball is one of the most popular and most loved sports in the world, with the NBA drawing a huge crowd of fans, not just from the United States, but from all over the world.
In addition to the NBA, the FIBA World Cup, the “World Cup” of basketball, is a major event in the sport of the orange ball. Every four years, fans around the world look forward to the World Cup, ready to support their national teams in any way they can.
Therefore, basketball is also one of the top sports in the betting world. Obviously, the NBA is Bodog’s main basketball market, which offers countless opportunities for Brazilian players to bet on the best basketball in the world. However, the FIBA World Cup, the Euroleague and the NBB are also available and attract a lot of bettors in Brazil.
Baseball
While not as popular outside of the United States and Asian countries like Japan, baseball is one of the top sports betting markets worldwide.
Major League Baseball, the North American professional league, is the main attraction for baseball betting at Bodog, as it has a regular season of 162 games and offers a multitude of betting options.
However, tournaments such as Nippon Professional Baseball, the Japanese professional league, and the World Baseball Classic, baseball’s world selection, also attract bettors from all over the world.
Volleyball
One of the most beloved sports by sports fans in Brazil, volleyball is also among the main sports in the betting world. Even though it doesn’t have the same reach as sports like football and basketball, volleyball has a considerable base of players, especially in countries like Brazil, which has a long tradition in the sport.
Among the leagues and championships available on Bodog, the women’s and men’s Super Leagues in Brazil stand out, which are considered two of the best volleyball competitions in the world, in addition to renowned national team tournaments such as the FIVB World Cup and the League of Nations.
MMA
Mixed martial arts could not be left out of this selection. MMA is undoubtedly one of the sports that have grown the most in the last 20 years, and today it has fans and enthusiasts all over the world.
MMA‘s main market is the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the UFC, which employs some of the best fighters in the world and has one of the most successful pay-per-view systems in the sport.
Betting on UFC has grown dramatically in recent years, making MMA one of the top sports betting markets on the planet. Bodog customers will find a plethora of betting options on all UFC events; in addition, events such as Bellator and Rizin FF are also featured among the markets available on Bodog.
