91.4% GGR Growth. 245% Profit Jump. One Expansion – CEO Yurii Berest Is Scaling DATA.BET’s Global Esports Betting Reach
Esports betting is continuing its rapid commercial expansion across the global online gambling industry, and DATA.BET’s latest Q1 2026 performance figures suggest the vertical is entering a much stronger maturity phase.
The sportsbook solutions provider reported 91.4% year-on-year growth in esports Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) during the first quarter of 2026, while turnover increased by 70.6% across partner platforms globally.
The latest results reinforce a broader trend already emerging across sportsbook markets:
Esports is no longer behaving like a niche engagement product.
Instead, it is increasingly becoming a scalable sportsbook revenue channel capable of driving player acquisition, retention and margin growth simultaneously, a wider supplier evolution that also aligns with DATA.BET’s broader expansion into adjacent wagering categories through its recently launched Prediction Markets vertical.
Player Behaviour Is Becoming More Sophisticated
Several of the strongest performance indicators came from changes in betting behaviour itself.
Placed bets increased by 33.2% year-on-year, while combo bets surged by 72.1%, highlighting how esports bettors are becoming more comfortable with advanced wagering activity.
The active player base also expanded substantially during the quarter, while average single-bet values increased as well.
According to DATA.BET, recent improvements to its Single Page Application (iFrame) contributed to the rise in combo betting by simplifying event browsing and improving the multi-bet creation process across partner platforms.
Higher-value betting activity from premium operator segments also helped increase overall average stake sizes during the quarter.
Major Esports Titles Continue Driving Growth
The strongest commercial performance came from major esports disciplines including:
CS2
Dota 2
League of Legends
Valorant
All four titles posted strong double-digit growth across:
turnover
profit
active users
total bets placed
However, some of the quarter’s biggest surprises came from smaller esports disciplines.
According to DATA.BET, niche esports categories collectively generated a 245% increase in profit compared to Q1 2025, highlighting how deeper market coverage is becoming increasingly valuable for sportsbook operators.
Rainbow Six stood out particularly strongly after the company introduced expanded market types and broader match coverage.
The supplier added new betting options including:
Total Over + Win
Win First Half + Win Map
Latin America also emerged as one of the strongest-performing regions for Rainbow Six betting activity.
Rocket League and Valorant Continue Expanding
Rocket League delivered some of the quarter’s strongest growth metrics despite the absence of a major global championship during the period.
DATA.BET reported:
85.3% growth in turnover
18.7% increase in total bets
50.1% growth in active players
The company attributed much of that momentum to its broad betting market coverage and a 94% live coverage conversion rate.
Meanwhile, Riot Games’ Valorant EMEA Clash 2026 tournament became a major acquisition driver for operators.
New users represented 68.6% of all new players during the event and generated 55.4% of total bets placed.
The tournament format itself also helped maintain betting engagement during a quieter period in the wider Valorant esports calendar.
Operators Continue Prioritising Esports
According to Bohdan Holovnov, Head of Esports at DATA.BET, operators are increasingly recognising esports as a commercially valuable sportsbook vertical capable of producing stronger margins and higher-frequency engagement.
Holovnov said the company’s broad discipline coverage and expanded betting markets continue driving stronger commercial performance across partner platforms.
“Q1 of 2026 set a new benchmark for what esports betting can deliver,” he said.
The wider industry implications are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
As traditional sportsbook markets become more saturated, esports offers operators:
year-round content availability
younger digital audiences
scalable live betting inventory
strong mobile engagement
higher-frequency wagering opportunities
The latest DATA.BET figures reinforce one broader reality now shaping the sportsbook sector:
Esports betting is no longer emerging.
It is becoming a core part of how modern sportsbooks scale long-term growth.
Source: DATA.BET
