After years of impressive growth, the sports betting industry has entered a new era, marked by market saturation, slowdown, tighter compliance regulations, and stricter advertising rules, all of which limit growth. This trend is expected to continue through the end of the decade, with the annual revenue growth rate halving from 9.2% in 2025 to only 4% in 2029. Yet despite the slowdown, the industry will still see tens of millions of new bettors worldwide.
According to data presented by Betideas.com, the sports betting industry is forecasted to add 45 million new users over the next four years, pushing the total to nearly 232 million by 2029.
Industry to Add an Average of Eight Million Bettors Per Year by 2029
Innovative technologies, such as in-play wagering, AI-powered predictions, and digital sportsbooks, combined with widespread legalization, have transformed sports betting from a niche market into a thriving industry, adding nearly 100 million users since 2020. Still, after five years of double-digit growth, the market is now facing a significant slowdown, with several factors explaining this trend.
For a start, market saturation is a major issue, as most mature markets have reached their peak user bases. However, stricter advertising rules, tighter compliance regulations, and rising competition are also limiting growth, with smaller and newer players particularly vulnerable as profit margins shrink and entry barriers rise. This has resulted in a significant revenue and user growth slowdown, pulling the industry far from the growth seen in previous years. Still, that doesn’t mean the market isn’t growing. In fact, the sports betting segment is expected to add an impressive number of new users in the coming years, pushing its total user base to record highs.
According to Statista Market Insights survey, the sports betting segment will add roughly 10 million new users in both 2026 and 2027, bringing the total to over 216 million that year. Although the annual increase will slip to 8 million in 2028 and then to 7.5 million in 2029, even at this slower pace, the market is projected to reach nearly 232 million users within the next four years, 100 million more than just four years ago.
Sports Fans to Wager Another $350 Billion by 2029, Pushing the 10-Year Total to $700 Billion
A recent Betideas report showed just how much money this massive user base will spend on wagers in the next four years. Although sports betting growth may have slowed down from the 2021-2022 peak, sports fans worldwide have still shelled out roughly $350 billion on wagers since 2020. To put that into perspective, that’s nearly 70 times the total cost of the 2024 Paris Olympics, which was around $5.5 billion, and seven times the combined value of the top ten Premier League clubs.
However, Statista expects the annual sports betting revenue to grow by 22% over the next four years, reaching $95 billion, with sports fans wagering another $350 billion by 2029, and bringing the 10-year total to $700 billion.