Entain
NBA 2025–26 European Tour Drives Record Betting Surge, Entain Data Shows
NBA betting is hitting new heights in Europe. New data from Entain shows that the 2025–26 European tour sparked a massive wave of activity, with games in Berlin, Paris, and London serving as the primary catalysts for customer growth.
The NBA has made no secret of its ambition to deepen its presence in Europe through international games and significant spikes in betting activity around these games suggest that their strategy is gaining real traction.
“Conversations around long-term expansion, including the possibility of placing full-time NBA franchises in European cities, continue to resurface whenever engagement surges in major markets like Germany and France. As a result, this data not only measures betting interest, but also acts as an indicator of where the NBA’s brand is resonating most strongly – and where the fans are,” Rene Simanovic, Entain’s Head of European Basketball.
Paris kicks off in style
The NBA’s Paris stop in 2025 was a sign of the strong performance to come, particularly in the host market. France recorded one of the most impressive uplifts in stakes across the entire tour. Compared with a typical NBA week:
France: +241%
Italy: +119%
Germany: +72%
Berlin: record-breaking momentum
The Berlin game on 15th January 2026 delivered the most dramatic uplift of the tour, providing further indication of the NBA’s growing influence across continental Europe:
Germany: +274%
Italy: +110%
Greece: +68%
A major driver of local excitement came from the appearance of Berlin-born brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner, whose homecoming with Orlando Magic added cultural significance to the fixture.
London: strong continental interest, modest UK growth
The London NBA game on 18th January 2026 again generated significant interest across Europe, though the UK continued to trail other major markets:
France: +35%
Germany: +28%
UK: +19%
“This surge in engagement underscores a significant and accelerating shift in customer behaviour. These fixtures are clearly resonating with audiences across our markets, and we are witnessing basketball establish itself as a major growth driver within the sports betting ecosystem. By contrast, the UK’s more subdued response highlights a key opportunity for future growth,” Rene Simanovic said.
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Brooks Pierce President and CEO of Inspired
Entain broadens Virtual Sports reach via extended global deal with Inspired Entertainment
Entain, the worldwide sports betting and gaming organization, has prolonged its enduring collaboration with Inspired Entertainment, ensuring ongoing access to Inspired’s top-tier Virtual Sports collection through its international brands.
An important aspect of the refreshed multi-year contract is the launch of Inspired’s enhanced Virtual Soccer with BetBuilder – debuting prior to this year’s football World Cup – offering Entain customers a new method to craft personalized, multi-selection virtual football wagers. More new Virtual Sports titles will be introduced later this year as part of an improved content schedule.
The refreshed agreement backs Entain’s intentions to continue enhancing its product range and providing additional options for its customers. Through a close collaboration with Inspired, Entain can roll out new Virtual Sports formats as they are released and guarantee that its global brands gain from a consistent flow of captivating, high-quality content.
Jamie Crossfield, Sportsbook Director at Entain, said: “Virtual Sports continues to be an important and growing category for our customers globally. Inspired has been a trusted partner for many years, consistently delivering high quality, high performing content across our brands. Extending this partnership enables us to build on that success while offering even more compelling entertainment through new products like the enhanced Virtual Soccer with BetBuilder.”
“We are delighted to extend our successful global partnership with Entain,” said Brooks Pierce, President and CEO of Inspired. “Our relationship has been built on collaboration, performance and innovation. The introduction of our upgraded Virtual Soccer with BetBuilder, an industry first, reflects our commitment to delivering differentiated, high impact products that drive engagement and long-term growth for our partners.”
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Coral
Entain Launches Racing Bet Builder
Entain, the global leader in sports betting and gaming, is helping to redefine the horse racing experience with the launch of its Racing Bet Builder, a first-of-its-kind innovation available online and in retail shops across the UK and Ireland through its Ladbrokes and Coral brands.
Horse racing is a cornerstone of British sport, but to thrive in the modern era, it must evolve to attract more recreational punters. This pioneering product marks a major step forward in making horse racing more engaging to existing and new betting audiences.
A Bet Builder lets customers create their own personalised bet by combining multiple selections from the same event into one wager. Instead of using pre-set accumulators, they pick the outcomes they want—such as who will win or how a competitor will perform. It has become popular across sports because it is simple, flexible and gives customers more control over their bets.
Customers increasingly expect the same personalised, intuitive betting experience they enjoy across football, tennis and other sports. Racing Bet Builder brings that familiarity into racing – helping fans connect with the sport in a way that feels modern, simple and tailored to how they already like to bet. The product is fully interactive, with customers building their own bet through a bespoke betting interface that makes the experience smoother and more engaging.
Racing Bet Builder gives customers freedom, flexibility and fun, allowing them to build personalised bets on a single race, combining markets such as win, place in various positions and winning distance into one price. Odds update in real-time as selections are added and can reach up to 100,000/1, delivering a small-stakes big-win experience on a race like never before. Entain will also launch new markets ahead of the big racing festivals, giving customers even more ways to tailor and enhance their betting experience during the sport’s marquee moments.
Jamie Crossfield, Sportsbook Director at Entain UK, responsible for Ladbrokes and Coral, said: “The beauty of race day is the variety of outcomes – from underdog stories to photo finishes. Racing Bet Builder captures that excitement and gives customers more freedom to back their instincts. It’s a smarter, more satisfying way to bet on racing.”
Racing Bet Builder is live on all UK and Irish racing with Coral and Ladbrokes, accessible online and via in-shop self-service betting terminals – a first in retail. Customers can also combine Racing Bet Builder selections with other sports markets through Bet Builder+, creating multi-sport accumulators for even bigger thrills.
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4ThePlayer
4ThePlayer teams up with Entain for UK retail launch of player-favourite slots
feature. 3 Lucky Leprechauns has also emerged as a favorite among players, providing regular features and a vibrant, approachable experience that easily adapts to retail gaming.Chris Ash, Founder and Managing Director at 4ThePlayer, said: “Partnering with Entain to bring multiple 4ThePlayer titles into their UK retail estate is a key part of our retail strategy. 4 Fantastic Fish and 3 Lucky Leprechauns have both performed strongly online, particularly in the UK, making them a natural starting point for this exciting new project.”
Matt Stadius, Director of Retail Gaming at Entain, added: “4ThePlayer has built a strong reputation for creating engaging, player-focused content, and we’re pleased to be bringing titles such as 4 Fantastic Fish and 3 Lucky Leprechauns into our UK retail estate. Both games have already proven their appeal online, making them a good fit for our shop customers.”
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