The Grand National Tops the 2025 ‘Top-50 Gambling Events’ List

by Roy Brindley, 9 January 2026

The Grand National, Super Bowl and US Masters Golf were the top three most popular sports betting events in 2025, according to gambling giant Entain.

Nick Rockett was the 33/1 winner of 2025’s most popular sports betting event, the Randox Grand National. ©Getty

Key Facts:

• The Grand National was the most popular sports betting event of 2025.
• Just four sports have a place in the top-50 ‘most popular’ list.
• Football comes out on top numerically with 30 entries.
• Super Bowl sits second with 13 other NFL games in the top-50.

International sports betting and gambling giant Entain has released details of its biggest sports betting events of 2025. Once again, the Grand National has claimed top spot in the company’s annual ranking of the world’s most popular betting events.

In a press release, Entain, which operates brands such as Coral, Ladbrokes, and BetMGM, states that the “list reveals a striking diversity of sporting passions among Entain customers worldwide – from European football finals and US sporting spectacles to South American showdowns.”

However, only four sports feature in its ‘top-50 of betting events of 2025’. The list breakdowns to show football remains the punters’ pal, with soccer matches claiming 30 spots on the list. The Champions League Final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan was the most popular match of the year.

The Super Bowl, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, understandably fared best of the 14 NFL games that made the list. Horse racing, headlined by the Grand National, features five times – all of which are National Hunt contests. Golf and its 2025 Masters was the only other sport to make the top 50.

Entain’s Top 10 Betting Events of 2025

1. Horse Racing: Grand National
2. NFL: Superbowl: Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles
3. Golf: 2025 US Masters
4. NFL: AFC Championship Game, Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs
5. Football: Champions League Final, Paris Saint-Germain v Inter Milan
6. NFL: NFC Championship Game, Washington vs Philadelphia Eagles
7. Football: Club World Cup Final, Chelsea v Paris Saint-Germain
8. Football: Club World Cup Semi Final, Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid
9. Football: Nations League Final, Portugal v Spain
10. Football: Champions League Semi Final, Inter Milan v FC Barcelona

Cultural Sporting Phenomena and Annual Traditions

Unlike 2024, when the FTSE 100 company divulged the Grand National garnered 700% more bets than its closest horse racing rival, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and 82% of cash bets placed on the National at its betting sites were for £5 or less, Entain’s 2025 ‘reveals list’ is shy on significant numbers.

Greg Ferris, Managing Director of Sports at Entain, said: “From Cheltenham to the Super Bowl, and from Champions League to the Libertadores Final, this list shows how our customers’ interests span continents and sports.”

“The Grand National and the Super Bowl are cultural phenomena that transcend sports and are annual traditions for recreational customers. Beyond these leading top two events, the diversity in the top 50 of different sports reflects our global reach and the varied passions of millions of fans worldwide.”

Entain’s Top 2025 Betting Events Positions 11-20

1. Football: Champions League Quarter Final Leg 2, Real Madrid v Arsenal
2. NFL: 2025 Season Opener, Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles
3. Football: Club World Cup Semi Final, Fluminense FC RJ v Chelsea
4. Horse Racing: Cheltenham, Gold Cup
5. Football: Europa League Final, Tottenham v Manchester United
6. Football: Club World Cup R16, CR Flamengo RJ vs Bayern Munich
7. Football: Champions League Semi Final, Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal
8. Football: Club World Cup Quarter Final, SE Palmeiras SP vs Chelsea
9. Football: Libertadores final, SE Palmeiras SP v CR Flamengo RJ
10. NFL: Regular Season, Detroit Lions vs Baltimore Ravens (MNF)

The National and the National Football League

The Grand National remains Entain’s undisputed leader; the famous horse race is joined in the top 20 by the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 14th place. The Scottish Grand National, a race sponsored by Entain’s Coral betting brand, has a surprisingly lofty spot in 21st.

Reinforcing the Cheltenham Festival’s status as a cultural and sporting institution, three of its races – including the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (27th) and St James’s Palace Chase (50th) – made the top-50. Surprisingly, the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase on Boxing Day is not listed.

The Super Bowl (second) continues as a global betting phenomenon, but there was also strong NFL interest in the AFC and NFC Championship games, placing them fourth and sixth. Two ‘regular games’ in the opening weeks of the 2025 NFL season made it into the top 20, reflecting BetMGM’s growing customer base and the NFL’s international popularity.

Football Hits the Net, but Golf Has Just One Hole-In-One

Football finals are well represented in Entain’s list. The Champions League Final sits fifth, ahead of the Club World Cup Final (7th), the Nations League Final (9th), the Europa League Final (15th), and South America’s Copa Libertadores Final (19th).

Manchester United vs Liverpool fixtures remain the most popular domestic games. They feature twice in 2025’s top 50, at 26th and 30th. Golf’s US Masters lofty position in the top three is eye-catching. It was positioned sixth in 2024, but the fact that neither the Ryder Cup nor any other competition has a place in the top-50 is surprising.