By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Basketball — fast, dramatic, and now almost nonstop — is turning into one of the most bet-on sports on the planet. And while the NBA still leads the way, the market has evolved into something much bigger and far more global.
Thanks to a combination of live-streaming, legal reforms, and a game that lends itself perfectly to live betting, basketball is quietly powering a new era of international wagering.
Nowhere can that be seen more than in Ireland.
Ireland isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of basketball. The country’s sporting roots are deep in horse racing, Gaelic games, and football. But lately, basketball has found its niche — not necessarily on TV or in the streets, but in betting apps.
Irish bookmakers like Boylesports and Paddy Power have leaned in, expanding their hoops offerings far beyond the NBA. You can now find lines on everything from NCAA tournament games to the EuroLeague, Olympic qualifiers, and even summer friendlies. Punters are placing bets on halftime totals, player points, and everything in between.
It’s not that the Irish are suddenly obsessed with basketball — they’re just increasingly savvy bettors looking for action, and basketball offers a near-constant flow.
But aside from Ireland, let’s be real — no one bets basketball like Americans do.
Since the 2018 Supreme Court decision that opened the door for legal sports betting, the US market has exploded. States like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Illinois have seen basketball consistently rank in the top tier for betting volume, often second only to football.
And the NBA has welcomed the shift with open arms. They’ve inked partnerships with betting platforms, folded odds into broadcasts, and even redesigned parts of the league’s app experience around real-time wagers. FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM now see massive spikes during big games — especially during the playoffs, when betting handles soar.
Live betting — wagers placed during the game — has changed the experience entirely. Bettors aren’t just picking winners anymore; they’re riding momentum swings, watching odds shift in real time, and jumping on runs like they’re calling plays themselves.
Across the pond here in Europe, basketball isn’t a novelty — it’s part of the sporting fabric.
Countries like Spain, Greece, Lithuania, and Turkey don’t just watch basketball; they live it. Their domestic leagues are legit, and the EuroLeague — Europe’s version of the NBA — has created a whole separate ecosystem of fans, rivalries, and of course, betting markets.
Operators like Bet365, Unibet, and Bwin offer wide-ranging coverage. You can bet on game outcomes, player stats, or even predict the next team to go on a 6-0 run. The pace of the game makes it ideal for in-play betting, and European bettors, who’ve been doing this longer than most, have embraced it fully.
Punters in Asia
No region is more basketball-crazed than Asia, and that passion spills directly into the betting space.
In China, where the NBA still commands massive interest, legal betting remains off-limits — at least officially. But that hasn’t stopped fans from wagering through offshore sites or informal networks. It’s a huge underground market, driven by a massive, hoops-hungry audience.
The Philippines offers a different story. Betting is fully legal, and basketball is the undisputed national sport. Local bookmakers like MegaSportsWorld offer action on everything from the domestic PBA to the NBA and international tournaments. Betting isn’t just popular — it’s part of how fans engage with the sport, whether in bars, barbershops, or on their phones.
One place where the numbers are booming as well is in Australia.
Australia’s betting industry has always been strong, but basketball has recently become one of its fastest-growing verticals. Part of that is homegrown talent: Aussies have made major NBA strides over the past decade, raising the profile of the sport back home.
Bookmakers like Sportsbet, TAB, and Ladbrokes have taken notice. They now run full slates of NBA lines, live odds on the National Basketball League (NBL), and props for global tournaments. With NBA games often airing in the morning due to the time difference, bettors are placing wagers before work or over breakfast — something the industry has started to lean into.
Younger bettors in particular are drawn to the fast pace and mobile-friendly nature of basketball betting. When the action’s constant, so are the opportunities to jump in.
What’s made basketball such a force in the betting world is how well it fits the modern bettor’s mindset.
It’s fast. It’s global. It’s on almost every night somewhere. The pace is perfect for live betting, and the scoring volume means there’s always something to react to. There’s no need to wait a week between games, or hours for a single touchdown. The next bucket is seconds away.
For operators, that’s a dream. And for fans, it means a new way to experience a sport they already love — or, increasingly, one they’re getting to know through the lens of a wager.
Basketball isn’t just a growing sport. It’s becoming the global language of modern betting.