Latest figures for online sports betting in Colorado have highlighted the extraordinary – and, on the face of it, inexplicable – popularity of wagering on table tennis.
The Colorado Division of Gaming reported that $31.7 million was wagered on table tennis in January 2025. That’s higher than the previous record of $29.4 million, set in the previous month. It is also more than the amount staked on soccer, MMA, and even NHL.
So why does table tennis, without any local stars or leagues, attract more betting interest than hockey, with the Colorado Avalanche riding high in the Western Central?
The answer tells us much about the mentality of online sports bettors, the type of sports they like to wager on, and how the structure of table tennis matches makes it the ideal content to satisfy their appetite.
Because it’s not just in Colorado that the level of wagering on table tennis outstrips many sports you would expect to be more popular.
The Centennial State is the only one that reports betting numbers on table tennis. Sportsbooks admit that the high level of interest is reflected in states across the nation.
Chris Schroder, director of the Division of Gaming, agreed. He said: “The popularity of table tennis isn’t unique to Colorado. It’s a popular sport throughout the country from all the regulated jurisdictions for gaming.”
The allure of ping pong can be traced back to 2020. That’s when online sports betting in Colorado was legalized, as in many other states – and when top pro leagues across the world were cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While major stadiums fell silent, table tennis continued across Europe and Asia, and US bettors made the most of the chance to wager on the only sporting action they could find.
But that popularity has been maintained, for two principal reasons. The first is that live-streamed matches take place all day around the world, even during the hours when traditionally popular sports are not being played.
Then there’s the fact that matches are short, the odds move fast, and the action is non-stop for in-play bettors. Dr Ken Pendleton, from the University of Oregon, described wagering on table tennis as “like the crack cocaine of sports gambling”.
As a result, it should come as no surprise if the level of betting on the sport remains high in Colorado – and elsewhere.
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