Football accounts for 58% of all mobile sports bets placed across the Middle East and North Africa, based on 2024 H2 Gambling Capital figures. No other sport comes close to that number. The gap between football and the second-place category sits at over 40 percentage points. Users who set up تطبيق 1xBet on Android devices find football markets listed at the top of every sports section. Evening matches from European leagues line up with prime hours in the region, which partly explains the dominance.
What Football Markets Look Like on Phones
Match winner bets take the largest share at 35% of all football wagers. Asian handicap markets follow at 22%. Over/under goals sit at 18%. Correct score predictions hold 12% despite lower hit rates. The rest splits between halftime results, both teams to score, and player props.
Live football bets make up 62% of all in-match activity on MENA apps. Odds shift after each goal, red card, or corner kick. Phone screens show these changes through color-coded alerts — green for drops, red for rises. One-tap buttons let someone place a bet within 2 seconds of an odds movement.
Basketball Claims Second Place
Basketball holds 11% of mobile sports bets in MENA. NBA games air between 01:00 and 05:00 local time, which limits live bet volume. EuroLeague matches fit evening schedules better at 20:00-22:00. Despite the late NBA hours, the league still generates more total wagers than European basketball.
Point spread bets lead basketball markets at 30%. Total points follow at 25%. Money line sits at 20%. Quarter results and player props split the remainder. NBA playoff games produce 3x normal traffic for the category.
Tennis Grew Faster Than Expected
Tennis reached 8% of mobile sports bets in MENA during 2024, up from 5% in 2023. Grand Slam events drive most of this volume. The Australian Open airs during morning hours, Roland Garros fits afternoons, and Wimbledon and the US Open land in afternoon and evening slots.
Match winner bets dominate tennis at 40%. Set handicaps take 25%. Total games over/under holds 20%. First set winner and ace totals cover the rest.
Tennis suits mobile bets well because matches last 1-3 hours with constant scoring. Every point changes the odds slightly. Sets create natural breaks where someone can review positions. The individual nature of the sport simplifies research since only two players need attention per match.
Grand Slam tournaments that fit MENA bet schedules:
Australian Open: morning hours, January.
Roland Garros: afternoon hours, May-June.
Wimbledon: afternoon to evening, June-July.
US Open: evening to late night, August-September.
Wimbledon and Roland Garros attract the highest MENA tennis bet volumes due to favorable time slots. The US Open pulls strong numbers despite later start times. The Australian Open lags behind because matches air before most people finish morning routines.
MMA and Boxing Found Their Audience
Combat sports account for 6% of mobile bets in MENA. UFC events air Saturday evenings or late nights, which fits weekend habits. Boxing matches happen less often but generate intense single-event activity. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk bouts produced record bet counts for the category in 2024.
Combat sports markets center on fight outcome at 45%. Method of victory follows at 25%. Round bets hold 15%. Fight to go the distance covers the rest.
UFC Fight Nights provide 40+ events per year. Boxing offers fewer dates but higher per-event volume. Title fights from both sports attract casual bettors who rarely wager on other sports. The simplicity of picking a winner appeals to newcomers.
Cricket Holds a Niche
Cricket takes 4% of MENA mobile sports bets. The Indian Premier League generates most of this activity during April and May. International test matches and T20 games add volume during other months. The sport draws bettors with ties to South Asian communities across the region.
IPL matches start at 15:00-16:00 MENA time. T20 World Cup games vary by host country. These afternoon slots fit lunch breaks and early evening viewing.
Sport Category Comparison
Each sport creates a different profile for mobile bettors based on schedule, match length, and market variety. The table below places all five categories next to each other.
| Sport | MENA Share | Peak Hours Local | Avg Session | Events Per Year | Top Market |
| Football | 58% | 19:00-23:00 | 28 min | 1,500+ matches | Match winner |
| Basketball | 11% | 01:00-05:00 (NBA) | 22 min | 1,200+ games | Point spread |
| Tennis | 8% | Varies by Slam | 30 min | 60+ tournaments | Match winner |
| MMA/Boxing | 6% | Sat evening/night | 25 min | 50+ events | Fight outcome |
| Cricket | 4% | 15:00-18:00 | 35 min | 100+ matches | Match winner |
Football leads every metric except session length, where cricket edges ahead due to longer match duration. Tennis grew the fastest year-over-year. Basketball faces schedule challenges from NBA time zones. Combat sports punch above their event count with strong per-event numbers.
What Affects Category Choice on Phones
Three factors shape which sports MENA mobile bettors pick: broadcast timing, league familiarity, and market count per event. Football checks all three boxes — European leagues air at good hours, fans know the teams, and apps list 100+ markets per match. Basketball struggles with NBA timing but compensates through brand recognition. Those who download 1xBet on Android find all five categories sorted by start time on the main screen.
Sports driving mobile betting activity in MENA
Football dominates MENA mobile sports bets at 58% share with no sign of losing ground. Basketball holds second despite unfavorable NBA time zones. Tennis grew 3 percentage points in one year through Grand Slam appeal. Combat sports and cricket fill niches that attract loyal audiences. Each sport fits phone screens differently based on match pace, event count, and regional broadcast times.
