Esports runs year-round across titles like Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), League of Legends, and VALORANT, with tent-pole events that drive betting volume. The Esports World Cup returns to Riyadh from July 7–August 24, 2025 with 25 games and thousands of players and clubs, positioning itself as the largest multi-title event this year. Independent coverage reports a record prize pool exceeding $70…
Key takeaways
Crypto sportsbooks move money on blockchains, so payouts are governed by network confirmations and are irreversible once final; traditional sites use cards/banks where chargebacks can reverse disputed card payments.
Regulators still require licensing and identity checks. In Great Britain, any site—crypto or not—serving GB consumers needs a UK Gambling Commission remote licence and must verify name, address and DOB…
The big idea: betting without “the house”
In decentralized sports betting, smart contracts replace most functions of a traditional sportsbook. You can match directly against other bettors (P2P exchange), or buy/sell outcome tokens from an automated market maker (AMM) or liquidity pool. Settlement rules and payouts live in code, and results flow in via oracles. Examples include BetDEX (order-book exchange on…
Why stablecoins matter for sports bettors
Stablecoins are cryptoassets designed to track external references (usually the U.S. dollar) so their prices don’t swing like BTC or ETH—making them practical for payments and bankroll management. USDT (Tether) and USDC (Circle) are the most widely used dollar-pegged options.
Major crypto sportsbooks now accept these coins alongside BTC/ETH; for example, Sportsbet.io’s help center lists…
How We Picked (what matters in 2025)
We prioritized public licensing disclosures (especially under Curaçao’s new CGA regime introduced by the LOK reform), clear help-center pages for supported coins/networks, and sportsbook usability. Curaçao’s regulator extended provisional online licences to 24 December 2025 while full OGL roll-outs continue, which affects many crypto books this year.
The Top 5 Crypto Sportsbooks
1) Stake
Stake operates…
What crypto sports betting is and how it differs
Crypto sportsbooks let you deposit, bet and withdraw in digital assets rather than fiat. Bitcoin confirms new blocks roughly every 10 minutes on average, and transactions are irreversible once confirmed, which changes how chargebacks and payment disputes work compared with cards.Ethereum produces blocks about every 12 seconds, but economic finality is achieved…
Overview: why Web3 betting is accelerating now
Web3 sportsbooks move core functions—pricing, bet matching/settlement, and custody—on-chain via smart contracts. In 2025, three drivers are pushing adoption: regulated pathways for prediction markets in the US, stricter but clearer licensing in Curaçao, and a leap in wallet UX (account abstraction and cross-app connectivity).
Headlines shaping 2025
Polymarket buys a CFTC-licensed exchange (QCX) for $112M…
Overview
Stablecoins can make sportsbook deposits fast and low-cost, but each coin has different networks, fee patterns, and compliance trade-offs. This guide compares USDT and USDC for real-world betting and explains why BUSD is being phased out. Always use licensed operators and follow local laws and KYC rules. The UK Gambling Commission continues to classify cryptoassets as high-risk for AML purposes,…
TL;DR
Pricing & fees: Sportsbooks bake in vig (often around -110 on 50/50 lines), implying ~4–5% house edge on balanced action. Prediction markets quote probabilities as prices (e.g., $0.63 = 63%) and tend to charge lower/transparent fees (e.g., Kalshi posts a public fee schedule; PredictIt charges 10% of profits plus policies on withdrawals; Polymarket currently states no trading fees though on-chain/network…
How we picked (quick methodology)
We ranked sportsbooks on: (1) NFL market depth (pregame, live, props, bet builders), (2) payments (crypto deposit/withdraw clarity and fees), (3) limits & speed (published caps, high-roller support), (4) licensing transparency, and (5) geo-availability disclosures. We verified claims using each site’s official pages/help centers and reputable industry sources.
TL;DR top picks (by use case)
Best overall UX…
1) Can you legally bet with Bitcoin?
It depends where you live. In the United States, sports betting is regulated state by state; most state-licensed sportsbooks don’t support crypto deposits. Offshore crypto books are not state-licensed. If you’re in the U.S., use a locally regulated sportsbook and payment methods they allow.
In the UK, the Gambling Commission expects strong AML controls…