Strong esports performance drives sustained 91.4% GGR growth across partner platforms

DATA.BET, a trusted sportsbook solution supplier, has announced significant growth in esports betting performance during the first quarter of 2026, reinforcing the positive trends previously highlighted in its Sportsbook Report, which pointed to rising player interest in niche tournaments and emerging esports disciplines.

The latest results demonstrate a combination of strong market demand, disciplined trading operations, increased player engagement, and substantial commercial impact across partner platforms.

During the quarter, the esports vertical delivered standout results across nearly every major benchmark. Compared to Q1 2025, GGR nearly doubled, while turnover increased by 70.6%, supported by a meaningful improvement in margin efficiency.

Player activity also continued to strengthen. The total number of bets placed grew by 33.2%, while combo bets surged by 72.1%, signaling a clear shift toward more sophisticated betting behavior among users.

At the same time, the active player base expanded significantly, and the average single bet size also increased, reflecting stronger confidence and deeper engagement within the esports ecosystem.

According to the company, the growth in combo bets was supported by recent UX improvements to its Single Page Application (iFrame), making it easier for users to build multiples and improving the presentation of available events. Premium-segment partner platforms also contributed significantly to the increase in average bet size.

Niche disciplines continue to gain momentum

Major esports titles including CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Valorant all posted strong double-digit growth across profit, turnover, bet volume, and active users.

However, one of the most remarkable trends during the quarter was the performance of niche disciplines, which collectively achieved a 245% increase in profit compared to the same period last year.

Among them, Rainbow Six emerged as a standout success, driven by the introduction of new betting markets such as Total Over + Win and Win First Half + Win Map, along with a significant expansion in match coverage. DATA.BET noted that the title has developed a strong audience in Latin America, where the company continues to strengthen its position as a premium sportsbook solutions provider.

Rocket League also maintained its status as one of the most promising esports betting disciplines. Despite Q4 2025 featuring the FIFAe World Cup, widely considered the year’s headline event, the title still achieved strong quarter-over-quarter growth, including an 85.3% increase in turnover, an 18.7% rise in bet counts, and a 50.1% jump in active players.

The company attributed this performance to one of the industry’s broadest market offerings and a live coverage conversion rate of 94%.

Valorant drives new player acquisition

Another major highlight of the quarter was Riot Games’ Valorant EMEA Clash 2026 tournament, introduced as a new competitive format between the regional VCT Kickoff and Masters Santiago events.

The tournament featured teams that failed to qualify for Santiago alongside squads from regional Challenger leagues, generating strong year-over-year growth and becoming one of DATA.BET’s most effective new-user acquisition drivers.

New players accounted for 68.6% of all newly registered users and generated 55.4% of the tournament’s total bets placed.

DATA.BET projects strong momentum for the rest of 2026

According to Bohdan Holovnov, Head of Esports at DATA.BET, the results reflect the positive impact of deliberate product and trading improvements aligned with evolving player behavior.

The executive emphasized that high margin efficiency has encouraged more partners to recognize the commercial potential of esports, resulting in larger promotional campaigns, increased traffic toward the vertical, and sustained growth in both turnover and new users.

He also highlighted that DATA.BET continues to offer one of the broadest esports event and discipline coverages in the market.

The company additionally reported that official data events increased by 5.2% year-over-year, while the overall event calendar expanded by 10.8%, further strengthening the platform’s market coverage.

With GGR nearly doubling compared to the previous year and an active player base growing by more than 56%, DATA.BET believes esports betting continues to mature into a highly sustainable and commercially valuable vertical for the remainder of 2026.