News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Jan. 8, 2026: For sports fans in Latin America, betting on the sports that they love is quickly becoming a natural part of sitting down to watch a game. The online betting markets across the different Latin American markets have their own nuances and regulatory positions, but there are some clear favorites among the sports that this large region enjoys. All across the continent, bettors flock to online betting platforms that let them place wagers on football, basketball, boxing and other favorite sports. The online betting markets in Latin America are some of the fastest-growing in the world, and the sports they offer tell a lot about what is popular across this broad market.
Let’s take a closer look at which sports are most popular among bettors in Latin America.
Football Wears the Crown
Far and away, the most popular sport in pretty much all of Latin America is football. This is true when it comes to watching preference, as well as betting preference. Many of the countries in Latin America have a deep and abiding love for football, with love of the sport intertwined with their national identity. It should be no surprise that these countries have robust online betting markets for the sport, with about 67% of all wagers made in Latin America being made on football.
Brazil, the country with the largest sports betting market in Latin America, has a staggering 94% of bettors placing wagers on football games, a clear sign that it is the dominant sport in the country. These bets are placed at all different levels of competition, from international tournaments like the FIFA World Cup to smaller continental and national leagues like the Copa Libertadores and Brasileirão, respectively.
Other notable Latin American markets that see high proportions of football watching, betting and love include Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina, to name just a few others.
Baseball Has Deep Roots in Northern Latin America
There are a number of Latin American countries that have strong historical ties to baseball, and these countries often see popularity for the sport that equals or exceeds that of football. Notably, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic have strong fandoms and online betting numbers for baseball.
Venezuela, in particular, has a deep and passionate appreciation for baseball. After football, baseball often draws very high viewership in the country. There are a number of international and regional competitions that Latin American countries participate in, such as the World Baseball Classic and Major League Baseball. These leagues see a noticeable amount of online betting movement during the high points of their seasons.
Combat Sports See Strong Numbers
Combat sports like boxing and MMA have strong and passionate followings in many Latin American countries. This should come as no surprise, as many world champion fighters have come out of the region, such as Julio César Chávez from Mexico or Fabrício Werdum from Brazil.
While these combat sports might not draw the same year-round interest as football, big title fights and international matches featuring local talent often see betting and watching numbers that equal those that football can generate.
Basketball is a Sport on the Rise
Basketball is a sport that is seeing consistent growth in Latin America, both as a choice for watching and betting. Local leagues are seeing more and more talent and grassroots investment, and talent from Latin America is seeing incorporation into international leagues like the NBA.
Thanks to the incorporation of more Latin American talent, many countries across Latin America are seeing an increased interest in both watching and betting on international basketball leagues like the NBA. Brazil, Puerto Rico and Argentina are the heaviest basketball-watching countries in the region.
Esports Captures the Interest of a New Generation
As it has in many other regions, esports is quickly becoming a fierce contender for watch time and betting numbers in Latin America. For the most part, this growth is driven by younger generations maturing to betting age and being more interested in esports than they are in other sporting competitions.
The most popular games for betting in Latin America include Dota 2, CS:GO and League of Legends, with some of them drawing betting numbers that are similar to other sports, especially during the bigger tournaments.
Individual Sports Provoke Occasional Interest
There are plenty of other sports that see occasional flurries of interest in Latin American betting markets; this is typically noticeable around tournaments and other events in those sports. A good example is tennis, which sees strong betting numbers when Grand Slam tournaments like the French Open or Wimbledon are on.
Other sports, like volleyball, also see a certain amount of betting movement, but it typically doesn’t climb to the same sort of numbers as the other sports we’ve mentioned. The health of the Latin American sports betting markets is such that niche sports have plenty of room to exist for the bettors who enjoy them.
Final Thoughts
The sports betting market in Latin America is a diverse one, and one that is a product of the culture in which it takes root. Most Latin American sports fans will participate in online betting for the sports that they like the best, which almost invariably means football. But other sports are seeing increasing betting numbers, and the market is big and healthy enough to support many different sorts of sports.
