Sports betting has evolved dramatically, moving beyond the days when pre-flop bets dominated. The emergence of live betting and microbetting has transformed the landscape significantly.
In a recently amended complaint filed by Christopher Sage and Terry Thompson against the NFL, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Genius Sports, the plaintiffs allege that Genius Sports earned $126,100,000 in commissions from live microbetting in 2025, representing about 19% of its total revenue that year. This figure underscores the substantial growth of live betting in recent years.
According to research from Optimove, live bets comprised 52% of all online wagers in the US during 2024. In more established gambling markets like Greece and Italy, this percentage was even higher, reaching 70% and 57%, respectively.
The average live bettor in the US spent $1,583.90 monthly, significantly more than the $846.20 spent by those placing pre-match bets.
During a May 2025 investor call, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins revealed that live betting made up over 50% of the overall handle for the first quarter of the previous year, marking a notable milestone for the company. “We think there’s even more upside from there,” he expressed.
After the second quarter of 2025, Robins was even more optimistic, stating, “We are the leader right now and have by far the best offering. We had over 90% uptime in all of our core live markets last quarter, which is an industry-leading number.” He underscored the company's strength in a sector expected to drive significant growth in the online sports betting market in the coming years.
DraftKings recently expanded its live betting offerings for Major League Baseball with the introduction of “Moonshot,” a product that allows users to place a single wager that increases in value based on in-game action, targeting specific payout multipliers.
However, the rise of microbetting has sparked health concerns. This week, the Campaign for Fairer Gambling (CFG) issued a white paper advocating for the ban of online microbetting in New Jersey.
Microbets enable users to wager on immediate game outcomes, such as whether the next pitch in baseball will be a ball or a strike. This type of betting has raised eyebrows, particularly after accusations of spot-fixing against Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who allegedly manipulated betting outcomes by throwing intentional balls.
CFG, a non-partisan advocacy group focused on reforming the gambling industry, highlighted various findings in its report. It noted that individuals engaged in microbetting are more likely to be high-risk gamblers, experiencing a range of negative consequences.
Studies cited in the paper reveal that in-game bettors face heightened mental health issues including emotional dysregulation, impulse control, anxiety, and depression, with a staggering 78% of microbettors meeting the criteria for problem gambling.
Brianne Doura-Schawohl, CFG's director specializing in problem gambling policy, remarked, “Legal sports betting in most states, including New Jersey, is less than ten years old, yet 43% of Americans already believe sports betting is bad for society. Highly addictive, slot-like betting products like microbetting are a major reason why people are concerned, and rightfully so.” The Lancet medical journal has also identified microbetting as a high-risk activity.
The CFG paper concluded that microbetting poses a significant mental health risk, calling for immediate action. With 78% of microbettors classified as problem gamblers, the organization urged regulators and operators to reconsider their aggressive marketing strategies aimed at younger audiences, which normalize gambling behaviors.
