Online gambling is one of the areas where crypto moved fastest from theory to everyday use. Stablecoins like USDT, quick blockchain transfers and global access made crypto a natural fit for casinos, sportsbooks and, more recently, prediction markets such as Polymarket.
This guide explains how big the trend actually is, why it happened, how stablecoin payments work in practice, and which risks matter most. It is educational, not an invitation to gamble. Gambling is for adults (18+ or the legal age where you live), and the rules differ a lot from country to country.
How big is crypto in online gambling?
The numbers depend heavily on who is counting and what is included.
- Share of all online bets. iGaming software provider SoftSwiss reported that around 17% of all iGaming bets on its platform in the first three quarters of 2024 were placed in crypto (as cited by Cointelegraph). Industry coverage for 2025 puts the crypto share of global wagers at roughly 16% (CoinCodex), while crypto betting volume still grew by about 15% year over year.
