Gambling is one of the most popular pastimes for many individuals around the world, with many continuing to participate in a variety of different forms of the activity that exist.

Indeed, there are many who may perhaps go down the traditional route and look for some of the classic casino games that are available to play when they find a new online casino to use.

However, for many others, sports betting and its emergence in the 21st century is something that has been far too good to pass up on and has since become one of the most enjoyable and popular forms of gambling possible to participate in.

Naturally, there are a number of reasons why this form of wagering has been able to surge in popularity and continue to grow over the years, with factors such as passionate fanbases that like to back their favorite teams and competitors as much as possible, whilst some will argue that it is more enjoyable than playing games due to the amount of excitement and unpredictability that certain sports can provide when they are played.

However, with this in mind, we wondered what some of the most popular sports around the world to bet on are and why so many potentially look to place wagers on it? Let’s take a look at some of the top sports to gamble on:

Football/Soccer

If you were to have to make a guess in regard to what the top sport is to bet on, then football/soccer would certainly have been one many would make. Therefore, it should not come as a surprise to learn that it appears at the top, especially as it is the most popular.

The sport is one of the most popular in the world in regard to participants, with almost every single country playing the game whilst there are a number of tournaments that capture interest across a number of countries. Indeed, England’s Premier League is arguably one of the biggest, whilst the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup are other tournaments that acquire a global audience.

Additionally, betting on the sport is incredibly simple and easy to do, with sportsbook operators able to provide a number of odds and markets that cover a variety of different things, thus making it highly accessible to everyone.

Tennis

Tennis is another global sport that has a huge following all around the world, therefore making it another highly popular sport for many to gamble on and place bets.

Indeed, the appeal might not be as great as football/soccer, but with some iconic players to have played the game and the four major Grand Slams, there is certainly enough to keep punters interested. Moreover, there are a number of attractive markets that can be bet on, too!

Horse racing

Horse racing is incredibly popular within the UK and continues to increase in popularity across the world, with the sport attracting a large volume of sports bettors on a regular basis. There are many who will continue to place wagers on the numerous races that take place on a daily basis, although the biggest attraction will be the Festivals – such as the Cheltenham Festival – and main events that appear on the sport’s race calendar each season.

eSports, NFL, Basketball, and combat sports all deserve mentioning

Although they might not be as popular as those outlined above, eSports, the NFL (American Football), Basketball, and combat sports such as MMA, UFC, and boxing all deserve a mention as being highly popular sports to wager on.

With America having recently relaxed restrictions on betting and allowing states to decide whether they want to legalize it, there has been a boom and it would not be a surprise to see these sports experience growth in regard to betting numbers in the future.