You’re good at making successful bets on 22Bet Nigeria — maybe you’ll enjoy our message about what people around the world are betting on.
When people think about betting, most immediately imagine classic sports like football, basketball, or tennis. But the world of betting is much wider today. There are many games that look, feel, and play like sports — even if they aren’t traditional competitions. These games have their own rules, skills, fans, and big communities, which naturally leads to active betting markets. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular “sport-like” games that attract bettors around the world.
Esports: the new digital stadium
Esports is probably the biggest example of a modern game that functions exactly like a sport. Players train for hours, compete in teams, and join tournaments with professional leagues and international competitions. Games like Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Dota 2, Valorant, and Fortnite gather millions of viewers. Bettors follow the same logic as in traditional sports: analyzing team form, player stats, maps, and past matches.
What makes esports special is the speed of updates. A small balance change in the game can affect strategies, which means bettors have to stay informed. It’s not just a video game anymore — it’s a structured competitive ecosystem with coaches, analysts, and sponsorships.
Virtual sports: fast, simple, always available
Virtual sports are computer-generated matches that imitate real sports like football, horse racing, basketball, or greyhound racing. They use realistic graphics and short match durations, usually 1–3 minutes. There are no real athletes, but the atmosphere feels close enough: commentary, replays, league tables, and scheduled matches.
The biggest reason bettors love virtual sports is availability. Games run 24/7, there’s no off-season, and you don’t need to wait for real-life events. The downside, of course, is that everything is based on algorithms, so outcomes are fully unpredictable — but that’s also part of the fun.
Fantasy sports: your own team, your own strategy
Fantasy sports started in the United States and quickly became global. Players build their own virtual teams using real athletes from the NBA, NFL, Premier League, or other leagues. Points are awarded based on real match performance. The strategy here is deep: you follow player form, injuries, schedules, and matchups.
Many bettors enjoy fantasy competitions because they feel more personal. You’re not just predicting an outcome — you’re building a team, managing it, and trying to outperform thousands of other players. Platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel turned fantasy sports into a competitive, sport-like game with real winnings.
Skill-based games: somewhere between gaming and sport
In some countries, betting markets include games of skill like billiards, darts, table football (foosball), or even competitive card games like bridge or poker. They aren’t always considered “sports,” but they require accuracy, timing, reaction, or strategic thinking.
Poker in particular has a sport-like structure: tournaments, rankings, prize pools, and professional players who train mentally and physically. Betting on poker events — especially live international series — is surprisingly common.
A growing world of alternative competitions
Around the world, new competitive formats appear every year: drone racing, robot battles, marble races, and even unique niche competitions like cheese rolling or kabaddi. With online streaming and global audiences, almost any organized competition can evolve into a betting market.
What unites all these games is simple: people love competition, and bettors love predicting outcomes. Whether it happens on a football field, on a PC monitor, or inside a virtual simulation, the excitement feels the same.
