Crypto bettors are leaving traditional sportsbooks behind — Cloudbet's 2026 numbers show why

Willemstad, Curaçao – March 20, 2026 – Crypto sports betting site Cloudbet has recorded a sharp acceleration in wagering volume across its top markets in the first quarter of 2026, with basketball betting volume nearly doubling year-on-year and tennis and soccer posting gains of close to 50% and 30% respectively over the same period in 2025. The figures point to a broader shift in how and where serious sports bettors are choosing to operate — away from traditional sportsbooks and toward crypto-native sportsbooks built for speed, depth and high-stakes action. “Nobody is surprised that basketball, soccer and tennis top the list — but the way they top it tells you something interesting about how crypto bettors actually behave,” said a Cloudbet spokesperson. “Soccer draws more individual bets than any other sport on our site, but basketball ranks higher when you measure by the total money placed. That gap reflects the difference between recreational bettors