Introduction

Call of Duty, an iconic first-person shooter (FPS), continues to dominate not only as a competitive esports title but also as a growing market for esports betting. At DATA.BET, we believe the franchise’s appeal stretches far beyond its roots in North America. With the explosive growth of audiences that prefer to bet on esports, operators should no longer overlook Call of Duty’s expanding global presence and its increasing potential for profit.

The State of the Call of Duty Esports Scene

The competitive Call of Duty landscape is structured as a franchise league, with 12 teams representing various cities and states in the Call of Duty League (CDL). These teams compete throughout the calendar year across four stages, earning CDL Points along with prize money. These points determine the teams’ seeding in the Major – the season’s culminating tournament.

In 2024, Call of Duty joined the prestigious Esports World Cup lineup. This year, 16 teams will battle for a $1.8 million prize pool, elevating the importance of Challenger Series qualification events. Now, teams outside the CDL franchise have a chance to compete at the highest level, as victories in these secondary tournaments offer coveted invitations to the Esports World Cup.

Call of Duty: Warzone also carries significant esports potential. Its battle royale format has drawn both dedicated fans of the Call of Duty series and newcomers. Launched in 2023, the World Series of Warzone now boasts five regional leagues and a $950,000 prize pool, signaling a major milestone in competitive gaming.

Call of Duty’s Impact on the Masses

The Call of Duty League is a geolocated franchise, with each of its 12 teams representing a specific city or state in North America. This regional approach creates a unique and passionate fan dynamic, as supporters rally behind their local teams, fostering a vibrant atmosphere unlike any other in esports. Matches such as Optic Texas vs. Atlanta FaZe transcend traditional gaming rivalries, turning into intense, state-based competitions.

The Call of Duty competitive scene has become an integral part of American youth culture, comparable to major leagues like the NBA and NHL. Its live events draw large online audiences, with top-tier tournaments filling arenas.

Mirroring the appeal of traditional American sports leagues, the Call of Duty franchise has attracted an international fanbase. Notable CDL players, who also act as content creators and influencers, have contributed to the game’s widespread appeal. One example is Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro from Optic Texas, who boasts over 580,000 followers on Twitch. The presence of European and Middle Eastern players further bolsters the league’s global footprint.

What’s Changed in Call of Duty in 2025?

The fifth year of the Call of Duty League has seen several pivotal changes, signaling further expansion and development of the scene.

First, a return to Europe. Early this year, Madrid hosted the first CDL Major in five years, offering a $365,000 prize pool. This shift has already proven beneficial for viewership. According to Esports Charts, the event’s relocation to the old-new location boosted audience engagement, with community-driven broadcasts nearly doubling in coverage compared to last year. Non-English broadcasts – specifically in Spanish, Arabic, and French – set new viewership records, highlighting the franchise’s growing international appeal.

Second, a revamped tournament structure. The addition of Minor events to the Call of Duty ecosystem has increased the frequency of matches, enhancing the overall competition calendar. This reorganization ensures that there is no drop in content quality while providing a more consistent flow of events for fans and bettors.

Third, a surge of interest from esports organizations. In Europe, French organization Gentle Mates acquired the CDL Los Angeles Guerrillas team, capitalizing on the growing popularity of Call of Duty. The stream of one of its founders, Corentin “Gotaga” Hussen, reached over 66,000 concurrent viewers during the Major. Smaller organizations are also investing in the Tier 2 – Tier 3 Call of Duty scene, aiming to qualify for the Esports World Cup.

How DATA.BET Analyzes Call of Duty

The rapidly evolving esports ecosystem requires constant adaptation. At DATA.BET, we understand that Call of Duty’s dynamic competitive scene – affected by patch updates, meta shifts, and player form – demands quick adjustments to ensure profitable betting outcomes.

To form accurate odds, the Trading team at DATA.BET relies on more than just mathematical models. The game’s unique structure requires specialized expertise. Matches are made up of several maps, played in three distinct modes – Hardpoint, Search & Destroy and Control. To accurately calculate odds, each map is treated as an individual match, with its own probabilities based on factors like win rate and player performance.

In a 4v4 format, players’ form is a significant determinant of match outcomes. The ability to react to real-time developments – such as kill counts, control of key map positions, or momentum shifts – is critical. As a result, Call of Duty trading demands continuous updates and in-the-moment decision-making to ensure profitability.

Prospects and Challenges Ahead

In 2024, DATA.BET provided coverage for 427 Call of Duty matches. The Q1 of 2025 has seen a 137% increase in the number of events offered, with expectations for continued growth. This expansion is supported by the increasing prominence of Challenger tournaments, particularly in Europe, which have attracted significant betting interest.

Operators with Call of Duty in their portfolios are already seeing strong returns. The first quarter of 2025 revealed an x3 increase in betting volume compared to the same period in 2024. For sportsbook owners, these metrics suggest a promising future for Call of Duty as an esports betting discipline.

However, sustained growth requires more than just an expanding scene. Operators must continually refine their trading strategies and forecasting models to account for the unique dynamics of Call of Duty. The integration of real-time data processing opens up opportunities for a broader range of betting markets and extended live betting times. Fast markets and Player Props, already successful in other FPS titles, could further elevate Call of Duty‘s standing in the iGaming space.

The continued growth in turnover and Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) indicates that Call of Duty is positioning itself among the most popular betting esports disciplines – potentially joining the ranks of Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Valorant in the near future.

Call of Duty’s rapid expansion, both in its esports scene and within the betting market, signifies a robust and lucrative future. Operators should recognize the immense potential of the game and integrate it into their portfolios for long-term success in the evolving iGaming industry.

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BETBY, a leading provider of innovative sportsbook solutions, has announced a major update to its Betting Tips feature, introducing insights for esports.

This industry-first addition positions BETBY as the supplier with the widest betting tips coverage in the iGaming market, enhancing the player experience by delivering data-driven tips that help bettors make more informed and confident decisions.

Part of BETBY’s award-winning AI Labs suite of tools, Betting Tips will provide insights derived from the latest news, key team and player statistics, and other relevant information for popular titles such as Counter-Strike. Betting Tips will cover all major esports tournaments for supported titles, based on betting volume and regardless of the event tier, ensuring comprehensive industry-wide coverage.

In addition to expanding into esports, Betting Tips now delivers significantly improved tip quality. Around 99% of all tips now include a relevant supporting fact or statistic, resulting in clearer, more actionable insights. These enhancements contribute to a more engaging and valuable experience for both operators and bettors.

The integration of esports into Betting Tips reflects BETBY’s commitment to innovation and adaptability in the rapidly evolving betting landscape. The introduction of esports betting tips is also expected to drive higher conversion rates, providing operators with a valuable tool to engage esports enthusiasts more effectively.

To maximize accessibility, Betting Tips will be available in 25 languages: English, Portuguese (Brazilian and European), Spanish, Turkish, Russian, German, Japanese, French, Italian, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Estonian, Finnish, Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Latvian, Polish, Romanian, and Georgian. This multilingual support ensures a seamless experience for operators and bettors worldwide.

“Integrating esports into our Betting Tips marks a significant milestone in our mission to provide comprehensive and innovative solutions to our clients,” said Danil Emelyanov, Head of BETBY’s AI Labs. “As the esports industry continues to grow worldwide, we recognize the importance of offering tailored insights that cater to this dynamic market. This expansion not only reinforces our commitment to innovation but also solidifies our position as a leader in the sports betting sector.

In addition to expanding into esports, Betting Tips continues to offer intelligent insights across a wide range of traditional sports, including Soccer, Ice Hockey, Basketball, Tennis, Cricket, American Football, Handball, Volleyball, Baseball, and Table Tennis. This ensures that operators can engage bettors across all major sports verticals.

To find out more about BETBY, visit: https://betby.com/

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BETBY, a premium provider of innovative sports betting solutions, has announced the launch of a custom-made Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) league exclusively for CSGOEmpire, a leading operator in the esports sector.

This latest addition reinforces BETBY’s commitment to delivering tailored esports experiences that enhance engagement and offer operators unique branding opportunities.

The newly introduced league, integrated into BETBY’s award-winning esports content portfolio BETBY Games, fully replicates the lifecycle of a real CS2 match. It follows a best-of-three (BO3) format with a maximum of 24 rounds (MR24) and overtime, incorporating side switches, weapon purchases, bomb plants, and all the mechanics that define real CS2 gameplay.

Featuring top teams from the HLTV ranking, the league ensures a high level of competition. Additionally, a special guest team, ‘Empire’, representing CSGOEmpire’s brand owners, joins the lineup with an up-to-date roster. This exclusive league was made possible through complex mathematical modeling and advanced infrastructure. It is available only on CSGOEmpire, providing its audience with an unparalleled esports betting experience.

This initiative is part of BETBY’s broader strategic collaboration with Moonrail Limited, the parent company of CSGOEmpire. Through this partnership, BETBY has provided its cutting-edge technology and services to enhance CSGOEmpire’s sportsbook operations, further strengthening its position in the sports betting sector.

Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product at BETBY, commented: “Our partnership with CSGOEmpire to develop a custom CS2 league highlights our ongoing efforts to push the boundaries of innovation in esports betting. We have meticulously designed this league to replicate the real dynamics of professional CS2 gameplay, ensuring that CSGOEmpire’s users enjoy an authentic and engaging experience that cannot be found anywhere else.”

A representative from CSGOEmpire added: “At CSGOEmpire, we are always looking for ways to bring our users the most authentic and immersive esports betting experiences. BETBY’s ability to develop a fully customized CS2 league that mirrors real gameplay is a game-changer for us. This exclusive league not only strengthens our brand identity but also provides our community with a truly unique betting product they won’t find anywhere else.”

The launch of this league builds upon BETBY’s previous announcement introducing customizable esports tournaments, allowing operators to create tailor-made leagues that align with their brand identity. This framework enables partners to personalize various aspects of their tournaments, from team branding to in-game visuals, making content more engaging and brand-specific. The collaboration with CSGOEmpire is a prime example of how this approach can deliver a unique product that resonates with the platform’s users.

To find out more about BETBY, visit: https://betby.com/

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BETBY, a leading sportsbook supplier, has announced a strategic partnership with iGaming provider Softlabs, in an agreement that will further increase the reach of its proprietary esports product. Through this partnership, BETBY’s award-winning esports solution, BETBY Games, will be made available to all operators on Softlabs’s partner network.

Softlabs will be seeking to to leverage the BETBY Games proven content that delivers fast-paced wagering action on a content lineup, which includes eSoccer, eBasketball, eFighting, eCricket, eShooter, eHorse Racing, eTennis, and eStreet Soccer. This will provide its partners with over 60 tournaments featuring over 350 markets, and 245,000 live matches per month.

“Softlabs has built a strong reputation in the industry and we are thrilled to join forces with them,” said Kirill Nekrasov, Head of BETBY Games. “This partnership allows us to extend the reach of BETBY Games and provide Softlabs with an even richer esports portfolio. Together, we’re pushing the boundaries of innovation in the esports betting landscape.”

Dmitrii Borodint, Chief Product Officer at Softlabs, commented: “Partnering with BETBY marks an exciting new chapter for us. The exceptional quality and variety of BETBY Games content will provide our clients and their players with a highly immersive and customizable esports experience, helping us to stand out in an increasingly competitive market.”

To find out more about BETBY, visit: https://betby.com/

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DATA.BET, a global esports betting solution provider, announces a new partnership with Turbo Stars, a prominent B2B platform operating across the world.

Known for its comprehensive and adaptable products, DATA.BET will equip Turbo Stars with a complete sportsbook package to help their partners excel in competitive markets. Through this collaboration, Turbo Stars will integrate DATA.BET’s robust betting solution, including:

• Odds Feed, covering 60+ sports disciplines, providing extensive market coverage.
• MTS (Managed Trading Services) to combine AI-powered risk management with expert oversight to maximize profits while minimizing risks.
• Widgets and Esports Bet Builder for dynamic tools designed to increase user engagement and operator revenue.
• Streaming Videos to deliver high-quality live content for an engaging betting experience.

DATA.BET’s accurate and versatile offerings, optimized for seamless integration and growth, will enable Turbo Stars to deliver tailored solutions that meet the needs of diverse audiences.

“Turbo Stars is a platform that values reliability and flexibility, making them an ideal partner,” said Otto Bonning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET. “With our comprehensive sportsbook solution, we are confident this collaboration will help the platform and its partners achieve outstanding results.”

Turbo Stars also expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, emphasizing DATA.BET’s capabilities and support. “With their advanced sportsbook tools and tailored guidance, we’re excited to deliver exceptional experiences to our clients and end users,” said Alex Kozachenko, CPO at Turbo Stars.

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First leaked by esports personality and former caster MonteCristo, the Riot Games’ COO of Esports, Whalen Rozelle, confirmed the decision by allowing League of Legends esports and VCT teams in the Americas and EMEA to collaborate and partner with betting sponsors.

That being said, Rozelle noted that those brands cannot be shown on official Riot broadcasts, as Riot continues to take a cautionary approach when it comes to betting. According to Rozelle, “the decision was not made lightly”.

Nonetheless, it’s still a major policy change from the game publisher, but it would potentially benefit esports teams in the space, considering betting brands usually have plenty of budgets to invest. This opens up new revenue opportunities and is one of the solutions to make esports financially more sustainable for organizations.

As announced by Rozelle, Riot Games requires “all sports books partnering with teams to meet local regulatory and licensing requirements and match Riot requirements around content and promotion for this category.”

One of the restrictions is related to the inability to place betting sponsors on the jersey as well as Riot-produced content and broadcast. It will be down to the teams’ ability to find ways to lock in economically valuable partnerships while having set restrictions in place.

We’ll learn a lot along the way, and we’ll make changes if at any point this compromises the integrity of the sport or impacts the high-quality experience our fans have today. Depending on how this initial implementation goes, we’ll evaluate opportunities to expand—or refine—our approach in the future.” added Rozelle.

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BETBY, a premium sportsbook provider, has released a major update to its esports portfolio, introducing an unmatched selection of new outrights and player prop markets.

With these additions, BETBY now offers three times more outright options than the market average and a completely unique range of player-specific betting markets, setting a new standard for player engagement opportunities through esports content.

BETBY’s expanded outright offerings deliver diversity and unmatched depth in the industry. For instance when it comes to Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), bettors can now access markets that go beyond the standard winners and most played maps, with new betting markets such as Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP), Magnum Sniper Rifle (AWP) Kill Comparisons, and numerous others now available. In Dota, unique markets like Most Popular Hero (Picks + Bans) and Hero with Highest Kill Death Assist (KDA) provide a more engaging and data-driven betting experience. These markets are updated throughout the entirety of tournaments, ensuring players can place bets during breaks occurring between game days or stages. The update extends beyond Dota and CS2, as BETBY now offers unique outright markets as well for games like Escape from Tarkov: Arena and Standoff 2 – content which is currently not being offered elsewhere in the esports landscape.

The second significant enhancement is the introduction of a much broader esports player props portfolio, which is entirely developed by BETBY’s team of expert traders. This allows players to place bets on individual performances across all S-Tier, A-Tier, B-Tier, and C-Tier tournaments for main esports disciplines, and not only on the occurrence of major events.

These additions further bolster BETBY’s esports portfolio, following a series of major updates that underline the company’s focus on innovation and its dedication to providing engaging content for its partners and their end-users.

Kirill Nekrasov, Head of BETBY Games, commented: “We decided to accelerate the launch of new outrights and player prop markets for esports because we see a gap in the industry. We wanted to develop our own solutions and noticed that even though providers offer classic pre-tournament outrights, none of them provide continuously updated outrights when the events are in progress. Regarding player props, it’s relatively new content as part of our esports feed. If we talk about traditional sports, like soccer or basketball, it’s the standard for the industry. But I foresee that when it comes to esports it will as well be an absolute must-have in the future, with the performance and statistics of teams and players now becoming more widely available. Despite the fact that player props are not a new thing in the esports industry, these markets are offered only throughout top-tier tournaments and only for a limited number of teams. What we did was push this feature not only for top tournaments, but also B-Tier and C-Tier tournaments, whilst at the same time broadening player props coverage to a wider teams coverage.”

BETBY will be showcasing its premium sportsbook solutions and services at the upcoming ICE 2025 in Barcelona. Attendees can learn more by visiting booth 5J18 or exploring https://betby.com/. 

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DATA.BET, a leading esports betting provider, releases Bet Builder, designed to create highly customized compound bets within a single match, offering a thrilling experience for professional bettors and avid esports enthusiasts.

Unlike traditional express bets, which span across multiple events, Bet Builder operates within a single event. It allows players to tailor their bets with flexibility, making it ideal for skillful users who deeply understand the game and seek a more personalized and strategic betting experience. With Bet Builder, users can bet on a wide range of markets within a single event, freely combining their selections without any restrictions.

In addition to its powerful functionality, this product is versatile in its integration. It can be seamlessly connected to any platform via API, allowing operators to offer this premium feature without technical limitations.

The novelty is already available for Counter-Strike 2 and will soon expand to cover other popular esports titles such as Valorant,  League of Legends, and other disciplines. 

“Our Bet Builder is a game-changer in the esports betting landscape,” said Rostyslav Likhtin, Head of Product at DATA.BET. “We’ve developed a sophisticated mathematical model that allows us to offer this feature on compound events without compromising on profitability. Beyond providing a unique experience that boosts engagement rates, loyalty, and expands the user base, it also significantly increases the operator’s turnover from the existing audience. Additionally, Bet Builder helps attract new players who are eager to explore combined bets on popular sports, allowing them to become more familiar with these disciplines.”

For more information on how to integrate this feature, please contact DATA.BET’s sales team via sales@data.bet.

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The Games will be hosted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, thanks to a 12-year deal between the IOC and the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia. This means that any Olympic Esports Games will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the next 12 years. It is unknown how often the Games will be held or whether they will follow the Olympic tradition of hosting an event every four years.

In response to the announcement, the President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, said:

“As a ‘first’ ever Esports Olympic Games, obviously there is still much to consider and plan with the IOC, but we are committed to hosting a special event that respects and celebrates the Olympic values while boldly seizing the momentum to drive esports forward with the international platform the sport and its athletes deserve. The world will have an open invitation to join us in 2025 and celebrate this moment together.”

It is currently unknown exactly what games players will compete in at the Olympic Esports Games. The only information on that front comes from a quote from Thomas Bach, the IOC president:

“By partnering with the Saudi NOC we have also ensured that the Olympic values are respected, in particular, with regard to the game titles on the programme, the promotion of gender equality and engagement with the young audience, which is embracing esports.”

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ONE Esports, a leading global esports media platform, announced the expansion of its partnership with Samsung Electronics to deliver gaming and esports news to U.S. fan communities through the Samsung News app.  

Available to U.S. Samsung Galaxy device owners, ONE Esports will support Samsung News in the distribution of trending and breaking news from the world of esports and gaming. The app delivers tailored morning and evening briefings, alongside expertly curated top stories, to serve U.S. gaming communities with ONE Esports’ exclusive interviews, feature stories, and in-depth game guides.  

ONE Esports joins a wide range of news partners on the platform, including Bloomberg Media, CNN, Fortune, Fox News, Glamour, GQ, HuffPost, Money, Newsweek, New York Post, Parade, POLITICO, Refinery29, Reuters, Salon, Slate, Sports Illustrated, The Daily Beast, TheStreet, and USA TODAY.  

“We are proud to build upon ONE Esports’ partnership with Samsung to celebrate esports heroes in the U.S. Our U.S. fandom is growing at a tremendous pace, and Samsung News unlocks an avenue for Samsung Galaxy users to get the best of ONE Esports’ award-winning coverage, together with other trusted news sources in one place,” said Carlos Alimurung, CEO, ONE Esports.  

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