It is widely believed that the first ever bookmaker appeared in the 1790s, so sports betting is far from a new phenomenon. Since then, bookmakers have become an increasing presence, operating both in physical stores and online. Over the last two decades, the rapid online growth has resulted in some huge global betting sites. Only the very biggest betting sites, however, have made it onto our exclusive list.

Criteria for Ranking

When asking the question “Which are the biggest betting sites in the world?” we considered a few key aspects:

• The number of active users – Does the brand have a large active user base?
• Brand recognition – How many people are aware of the brand? Is it one the general public has heard of and/or would recognise?
• The number of countries where the bookmaker is accessible – Is it a brand you can access in many countries across the globe?
• Revenue – Does the bookmaker bring in lots of money (not necessarily profit)?

Top Bookmakers

#1 Bet365

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Founded in 2000 in Stoke-on-Trent, England, Bet365 has turned into a true global giant. The company posted revenues of $3.38 billion for the financial year ending March 2022. Additionally, they noted a 48% increase in the number of active customers, up from a 13% increase the previous year. No other bookmaker can compete with huge figures like this.

Such a huge online operation requires a lot of staff power, and there are over 4,000 people who help keep Bet365 running. Although many of these are based in Stoke-on-Trent, where Bet365 have kept their headquarters, they have staff worldwide. The brand has always been open to expanding, and they have often acted quickly. They established themselves in key markets like the US faster than many competitors. They hold licenses to operate in various jurisdictions, including from the UK Gambling Commission.

#2 Betway

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Next up is Betway, a brand that first appeared in 2006. Betway is a subsidiary of the Super Group, its holding company. The Super Group traded on the New York Stock Exchange and exceeded €1bn in revenue during the first nine months of 2023. The bulk of this was due to Betway, with this being the Super Group’s flagship brand supported by around 1,900 staff.

A crucial part of Betway’s success has been its pro-activeness when it comes to arranging sponsorship deals. Whether it be teams, leagues, or races, Betway is a brand that has used sponsorship to boost its visibility. Currently, they have 60+ partnership deals in place globally. On top of this, they have been committed to gaining licences for several regulated regions, including Denmark, Italy, Spain, and Belgium.

#3 Parimatch

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Parimatch has been around for a lot longer than most bookmakers in existence. The brand began in 1994, operating in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. They then set their sights on the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, and this is when things began to take off.

Buoyed by the CIS success, Parimatch has since spread elsewhere, picking specific regions they think there is space for them. Although they do not enjoy the same global coverage as the likes of Betway, they do operate in many countries, such as Tanzania, Cyprus, India, and the UK.

Today, Parimatch has spread to over 20 countries and has an impressive active user base, totalling around 2.6 million players. They did, however, lose their licence to operate in Ukraine in March 2023 following sanctions enacted by Volodymyr Zelensky, which is a massive blow for them.

#4 1xBet

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With some betting companies, it is easy to get a deep look into their funders, financials, physical locations, staff numbers, and so on. This is not the case with 1xBet, though, who have risen to near the top of the gambling world with little being known about them. This is partly because the brand has Russian origins and because they primarily operate with the more easily obtained Curacao eGaming Licence.

What we do know is that 1xBet is big, and it is thriving. Over the past few years, the brand has been aggressively expanding into new territories, places such as Mexico, Chile, and Nigeria. They have also paid big money for prime partnership deals such as when becoming FC Barcelona’s new global sponsor.

This has been key to the success of the now Cyprus-based brand, as has their near-unrivalled selection of betting markets and games.

#5 Unibet

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Boasting around 9.5 million customers in over 100 countries, Unibet is undoubtedly one of the biggest online bookmakers. The brand dates back to 1997 when it was the idea of Anders Str?m, who ran the company from his home. They initially began taking bets over the phone before opening up a website which quickly supported 12 different languages.

Unibet Plc became the Kindred Group in 2016, which owns several other betting brands, such as 32Red. The Kindred Group saw revenues exceed ￡1bn in 2022 (from B2B and B2C operations) and employed over 2,000 staff, representing 60+ nationalities.

Interestingly, 50% of the money Unibet attracts via customers comes from sports betting. This shows how vital sporting action is to the brand and why it is their main focus.

#6 William Hill

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William Hill claims to be “the world’s biggest bookmaker”; although they are huge, this is not a claim we would quite back. For one, their revenues do not reach the heights set by Bet365. During the year 2022, their reported revenue stood at ￡1.24bn, which is significantly less. They also do not offer their services in as many countries as other operators on our list.

Despite this, we will stress that William Hill is still a huge operation. They have offices in 10 countries and have far more staff than most other big names thanks to their huge physical store operation. William Hill is one of the biggest bookmakers in the UK, operating around 1,400 stores (previously 2,300). This meant the 1934-founded bookmaker already had excellent brand recognition when branching out to online gambling.

#7 Betsson

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We want to clarify that there is Betsson AB, the company, and Betsson, the betting website. The former owns the latter, as well as numerous other gambling websites such as Betsafe. Given their Nordic origins, it is no surprise this is where much Betsson traffic comes from.

Those in charge have always been keen to push their flagship Betsson brand further in the field, though. Recently, they have acquired licences to operate in places like Greece, Mexico, and Argentina. Latin America has been of particular interest to Betsson, and they have managed to find a way in by agreeing partnerships with existing gambling companies.

Betsson’s biggest gains recently, however, have come in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where revenue was up 68% in 2023. Today, the company holds a specific licence for more than 20 countries and employs 2,200 people in 17 locations to run its operations.

#8 Betfred

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Few figures in bookmaking are more famous than Fred Done, the founder of Betfred. He established his first betting shop in 1967 and has since seen Betfred become a global brand that attracted ￡8.8bn in bets in 2022. Like William Hill, they have long had a significant presence on the UK high street. Even with lots of recent closures, they still run around 1,300 stores in the UK.

Although many of the biggest bookmakers have focussed strongly on expansion, Betfred is an exception to the rule. Rarely have they ventured out from their primary focus of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. They were briefly part of the Spanish market but have since withdrawn. At the same time, Betfred Sportsbook (a subsidiary of the Betfred Group) is available in America.

Despite having that limited global recognition, Betfred still rakes in ￡700m+ in annual revenue and employs 9,500 staff.

#9 Betano

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A company called Kaizen Gaming, founded in 2012, owns two betting companies. One goes by the name Stoiximan, while the other, a much larger operation, is Betano. Stoiximan is big in Greece and Cyprus but does not operate elsewhere. Betano, though, has enjoyed a steady but calculated approach to its expansion. This has resulted in Betano being present in four continents but only 11 individual countries.

This is admittedly not a big total. Betano is generally a well-recognised name in each country it operates in. Additionally, it has chosen some very large markets, such as Germany, Brazil and Nigeria. Overall, it is a brand with a bright future, as growth has been excellent in recent times. Betano enjoyed a massive 123% increase in sports bettors and a 52% uplift in gross gaming revenue from 2020 to 2021.

#10 Bwin

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Last on our list is the Austrian betting firm Bwin, founded in 1997. They are one of the brands owned by gambling giants Entain plc, who also control the likes of Coral and Ladbrokes. Formerly known as Betandwin, this brand has gone from a tiny operation to a significant player. Many people still recognise the brand from when they were Real Madrid’s shirt sponsors (2007 to 2013).

Having a heavy presence in football has long been part of Bwin’s strategy. Over the years, they have agreed to many sponsorship deals with leagues (such as Liga Portugal and the Belgian Pro League) as well as individual teams. They have also shown a particular interest in German football teams, as this is where many of their customers reside.

How has the internet changed the bookmaking industry?

As with many areas of life, the internet has had a profound impact on the bookmaking industry. For one, betting is now more accessible as customers are not reliant on having a shop nearby.

There is also a much greater degree of choice as you have so many bookmakers operating within the same space. This is good for consumers as the often intense competition encourages bookies to offer attractive promotions and more generous odds. It has, however, made bookmakers more excellent targets for money laundering, so this is why they must put measures in place to combat this.

Future Outlook

Current projections suggest that the global online betting market will continue to expand. This is partly as more and more countries/states begin to adopt a softer approach towards gambling. A growing customer base combined with lots of competition should lead to plenty of innovation in the industry.

In some developed nations, though, the focus will be on responsible gambling, with tighter regulations likely to be implemented. Although such nations are unlikely to become hostile places for bookmakers, extra rules will make continued growth more of a challenge.

Conclusion

The rise of big, trusted global brands in the betting industry gives consumers a range of names they can rely on. For gamblers, this is a golden age for betting as they have access to many great features, promotions, free withdrawals, and competitive odds. We have highlighted the top 10 biggest names in our list, but these names cannot afford to get complacent. There is simply too much competition for even the biggest sports betting sites to lower their standards.

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