The US sports betting market generated average revenue of over $4.33 billion in 2021, according to Statista. That’s not counting the global sports betting handle in regulated markets across Europe, Asia and Africa.

While the total amount of money wagered globally through legal and illegal bookies is hard to estimate, it’s clear the numbers will keep rising in the future. All sports punters have their preferred betting system and style, especially when choosing the sports to wager on. However, some sports events appear popular enough to bring in mind-boggling bets, transcending regional preferences.

Here are the most popular sports events that generate the largest bets in the global market.

1. The FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is the world’s most popular sports event, with a global betting volume of over $30 billion. Every four years, this global tournament is hosted in different cities, featuring 32 national teams across different continents.

In 2018, the average match of the Russia FIFA World Cup recorded an estimated global betting turnover of over 2 billion euros. Since then, the sports betting market has grown in popularity, and experts estimate the average global betting turnover for a match in the upcoming Qatar World Cup will range from 6-7billion euros.

2. UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League is among the best sports events you can choose to bet on. The UCL has greatly impacted the global sports betting industry, recording global betting volumes of over $13 billion.

3. The Super Bowl

If you love to bet on football games online, the Super Bowl is one of the biggest sports events you can choose in the US. This sports event records an estimated $100 million wagered on the game each year. This sports event records such high numbers as many people can also wager on halftime show performances and prop bet at the best Super Bowl sportsbook online.

4. The World Series

Baseball is growing in popularity in the global betting market, and the World Series is a good example of that fact. The World Series records an average of $50 million in wages every year.

However, the game itself is only part of why it welcomes such large volumes. Many punters choose to wager on the event as they can place prop bets and wager on halftime shows.

5. March Madness

The NCAA Division I male basketball tournament, also called the “March Madness,” is among today’s biggest betting events. According to statistics, Americans bet over $12 billion on the 2019 “March Madness.”

Figures from the UK show the total amount wagered on the 2018 March Madness tournament was about $265 million. That’s closely followed by the super bowl, which ranks as America’s biggest betting event, with over $150 billion wagered on the competition every year.

6. Kentucky Derby

If you’re a horse racing fan, the Kentucky Derby is the biggest event you can wager on. The event is usually hosted on the first Saturday of May, attracting millions of casual and professional bettors. This horse racing event also records the highest betting revenue compared to other horse racing events.