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Top 5 summer sports that surprisingly dominate betting

When the sun comes out, many people assume the sports betting world hits pause. The Premier League’s on break, the NFL’s hibernating, and the NBA’s months away from tip-off. But here’s the twist: Summer is far from a quiet season for betting, notes. In fact, global trends from the past 3-5 years show that when the heat kicks in, so does the betting activity — and not just on the sports you’d expect.

According to public data and industry reports, these five have seen a major surge in popularity — both at the venues and across — proving that summer punting is alive and thriving.

1. Horse Racing — The Year-Round Stalwart of Summer Betting

• Global Betting Handle: ~$125 billion per year (estimated)
• Approx. Global Share: ~15% of all sports wagers

Don’t let its traditional image fool you — remains a betting powerhouse worldwide, even in the summer. Decades of racing culture in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and beyond have cemented horse racing’s status as one of the top sports by betting volume. Major summer racing festivals turn into virtual holidays for bettors. In the U.K., events like the Grand National and Royal Ascot stop the nation with millions of bets placed. Australia’s famous Melbourne Cup each November (spring in the Southern Hemisphere) is dubbed “the race that stops a nation,” with over $100 million wagered on that single day. The appeal is multifaceted: Races are short and frequent (allowing many bets in a day), and betting on horses is legal and deeply ingrained in many regions. By some estimates, horse racing betting generates over $125 billion in wagers annually across the globe. Thanks to this rich heritage and a calendar filled with summer race days, horse racing consistently ranks among the top sports worldwide for betting turnover, even in the modern era

2. Baseball — Summer’s Sleeper Hit in Betting

• Global Betting Share: ~12% of sports betting revenue
• Key Markets: United States and Japan (long seasons = huge volume)

Baseball is a summer staple that quietly racks up enormous betting action, especially in its core markets. In the United States, Major League Baseball’s April-to-October season fills the summer with over 2,400 games, offering an endless supply of betting opportunities.

With games nearly every day, bettors can wager on moneylines, run totals, and player props all summer long. This high-frequency schedule drives serious volume — baseball accounts for roughly 12% of global sports betting revenue according to recent estimates. That puts it among the top sports worldwide by handle. Surprisingly to some, Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and South Korea’s KBO League also contribute significantly; these leagues see a summer betting boost from international markets as fans seek action around the clock. While baseball doesn’t match football or basketball’s single-event betting peaks in the U.S., its long season means the total wagers add up hugely over the summer. The post-2018 expansion of legal sports betting in America has supercharged MLB’s handle further. In short, baseball’s combination of daily games, rich data for analytics, and summer timing has made it a surprisingly dominant betting sport in summer months, second only to the major winter sports in some regions.

3. Cricket — A Summer Sensation for Billions

• Global Betting Share: ~8% of sports betting turnover
• Massive Event: IPL season wagers estimated at $150 billion

In much of the world, summer is cricket season — and big betting season. From England’s county matches to India’s IPL under the summer sun, cricket draws an enormous wagering following. In fact, cricket betting makes up roughly 8% of global sports betting revenue. That figure is eye-opening given that cricket isn’t universally popular in North America or East Asia — it underscores how huge the sport is in places like India, the U.K., Australia, Pakistan, and South Africa. A recent analysis valued the global cricket betting market at $113.6 billion in 2023, with projections to nearly double by 2030 as the fanbase (and online access) grows.

One standout driver is India’s Indian Premier League (IPL), a summer T20 league so popular that total bets across its season have been estimated around $150 billion (including offshore and informal betting). That puts the IPL on par with the betting handle of a FIFA World Cup or Olympic Games, despite being a domestic league. Major international tournaments, like the ICC Cricket World Cup (often held in summer or early fall), also spur betting frenzies across South Asia and beyond. The surge of mobile betting apps and in-play markets (like wagers on runs in the next over or method of dismissal) has made cricket betting more accessible and exciting. With billions of fans and more nations embracing legal betting, cricket in the summer has become a global betting titan — one that might surprise those unfamiliar with the sport’s reach.

4. Tennis — The In-Play King of Summer

• Global Betting Share: ~7% of sports betting revenue (2024)
• Notable: Among top five sports by turnover for many European bookmakers

Tennis might not come to mind immediately as a major betting sport, but it has quietly become one of the world’s most bet-on summer sports. In-play (live) betting has a lot to do with this. Tennis matches, with their point-by-point scoring, offer constant ebbs and flows — and odds that can shift with every serve or break. This has made tennis a favorite for micro-betting: Punters wager on everything from who will win the next point to how many aces a player serves, keeping them on the edge of their seats. Globally, tennis consistently ranks among the top five sports by betting turnover for many European sportsbooks. It generates about 7% of global sports betting revenue on its own. Summer is prime time, thanks to the Grand Slam calendar. The French Open (late spring), Wimbledon (July), and U.S. Open (late August/September) each spark worldwide betting interest. Wimbledon, in particular, is renowned not just for tradition but also as one of the highest in-play betting events in tennis, with dramatic swings on a single break of serve.

Another advantage: Tennis is truly global and year-round. Even when it’s not summer in one hemisphere, tournaments are happening somewhere else — from January’s Australian Open to smaller ATP/WTA tour events nearly every week. The head-to-head nature of tennis (no teams, just players) simplifies many bets, and the wealth of stats (e.g. player performance on grass versus clay) gives bettors plenty to analyze. All these factors have cemented tennis’s status as a summer betting heavyweight. It’s no wonder a betting industry survey found that 21% of U.S. sports bettors had wagered on tennis, more than those who bet on golf or hockey. Tennis has truly served up a surprise in the betting world.

5. Golf — Major Tournaments, Major Betting

• Peak Event: The Masters — #4 biggest betting event globally for one major bookmaker
• Popularity: 17% of U.S. bettors have wagered on golf

Golf’s leisurely pace and summer weather make it a popular spectator sport — and it turns out bettors flock to it as well, especially during the big tournaments. While golf doesn’t produce the year-round volume of some other sports, its four annual majors and other marquee events bring in a betting bonanza. In fact, the famed Masters Tournament each April is so heavily wagered that Entain (a global betting operator) reports it’s their fourth largest sporting event by bets each year — only behind the Grand National, the Super Bowl, and the UEFA Champions League final. That’s an astounding stat for a golf event, underlining how many fans place a flutter on the Masters.

Collectively, the Masters, U.S. Open, The Open Championship (British Open), and PGA Championship account for one-third of all golf bets in a year. Come summer, two of those majors (the U.S. Open in June and The Open in July) draw a global audience of bettors. The appeal? Golf offers long odds and big potential payouts on underdogs, plus a wide range of prop bets (e.g. top 5 finish, score totals). Casual fans who might ignore weekly tour events often join betting pools or take a punt during majors — it’s almost a tradition for many. In the United States, golf betting has surged since legalization; roughly 17% of American bettors say they wager on golf now, which is nearly as many as bet on horse racing. High-profile moments — Tiger Woods’ comeback win at the 2019 Masters, for example — have only fueled interest, proving that golf can produce just as much betting drama as any sport. And let’s not forget team events like the Ryder Cup (held in late summer/early fall every two years), which pits Europe vs. the U.S. and attracts significant betting on both sides of the Atlantic. All told, golf has emerged as a surprising summer betting favorite, riding the momentum of its showcase tournaments and a growing fanbase of punters who enjoy a wager on the links.

In the world of sports betting, summer is no longer the “off-season” — it’s a season of its own with diverse sports driving significant action. Horse racing’s heritage keeps bettors busy at tracks and online all summer. Baseball’s daily grind quietly amasses huge handles, especially as more jurisdictions legalize wagering. Cricket’s billions of fans turn summer matches and leagues into wagering extravaganzas. Tennis thrives on live betting thrills through every Grand Slam and tour event. And golf’s majors captivate casual and serious bettors alike for those big weekends.

These five sports underscore a key trend in the past 3–5 years: Betting interest has diversified beyond the traditional big-two (football and soccer), fueled by mobile access and global fandoms. So next time someone laments the summer sports lull, remind them that plenty of bettors worldwide are sweating a horse race, a baseball inning, a cricket over, a tennis tiebreak, or a golf putt — and often wagering surprising amounts on these summer events. The betting slip doesn’t take a vacation when the weather heats up.

Sources & Methodology

• DocSports (2025). : Growth, Trends, and Market Insights – global betting revenue by sport (e.g. horse racing ~15%, baseball ~12%, cricket ~8%, tennis ~7%)
• CricketWorld (2024). – market valued at $113.5B in 2023, expected to double by 2030
• Entain (2025). – Golf’s Biggest Betting Event – states the Masters is 4th biggest global betting event of the year (after Grand National, Super Bowl, UCL Final), and that the four golf majors comprise one-third of golf’s annual bets.
• Drive Research (2023). – U.S. survey data on popular sports to bet on (e.g. 22% bet on baseball, 21% on tennis, 20% on horse racing, 17% on golf).

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