Taking the mainstage: How Kambi and Abios are elevating esports betting
Summary
Esports has shifted from a niche add-on to a core sportsbook vertical. Kambi and its esports division Abios have invested heavily in data, infrastructure and product features to turn esports into an “always-on” content driver that rivals traditional sports betting. Abios supplies official real-time tournament data, visualisation and proprietary modelling that, combined with Kambi’s scale and licensing, enable advanced market types (eg. Bet Builder), ultra-low-latency live odds and consistent UX across titles such as Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends and Dota 2. The offering supports rapid expansion, strong LatAm traction and regulatory/compliance tools to protect integrity.
Key Points
- Esports betting volumes have surged: Kambi reports esoccer now ranks among its top five sports by bets and turnover.
- Kambi’s 2021 acquisition of Abios added dedicated esports data and infrastructure, enabling a more sophisticated product.
- Official real-time tournament data and low-latency feeds power features like Bet Builder and player props across major titles.
- Short-format matches (eg. esoccer, ebasketball ~10 minutes) provide continuous engagement and fill calendar gaps for operators.
- Product coherence and data visualisation improve UX for digital-native bettors who expect speed, mobile-first design and personalisation.
- Compliance and integrity are built into operations via 24/7 sportsbook control and automated filtering backed by Abios data.
- LatAm is a major growth region for esports, with partnerships (eg. Rei do Pitaco) showing modular product adaptability and strong market opportunity.
- Kambi’s scale (50+ partners, >$17bn annual liquidity) provides a data advantage for pricing, modelling and rapid product expansion (300% YoY increase in monthly events reported).
Content summary
The article traces esports’ evolution from niche to mainstream and explains how Kambi and Abios are driving that change. Abios brings esports-specific data, live feeds and visual tools; Kambi supplies distribution, compliance and operational infrastructure. Together they deliver high-frequency, low-latency markets (including a CS2 Bet Builder) and consistent visual experiences across titles. The piece highlights technological and commercial enablers—official data rights, proprietary modelling and scalable APIs (Odds Feed+)—and notes strong uptake in LatAm where esports penetration is high. Integrity monitoring and jurisdiction-specific compliance checks are emphasised as essential components for operator trust.
Context and relevance
Why this matters: esports is no longer experimental for sportsbooks — it’s a strategic growth vertical. Operators that rely on basic, filler esports content risk losing market share to those offering data-driven, fast, and mobile-friendly experiences. Kambi/Abios showcase a model for how suppliers can combine specialist data teams with platform scale to deliver product depth, integrity controls and regional expansion. For anyone tracking iGaming product innovation, audience trends (Gen Z) or LatAm market entry, this article flags the technical and commercial playbook many operators will follow.
Author style
Punchy: this is industry-level stuff — technical, strategic and commercial. If you care about where sportsbook growth really comes from, the detail here matters.
Why should I read this?
Short answer: because it explains how esports has stopped being the undercard and started running the show. If you work in product, trading or expansion, this piece saves you time by spelling out the tech, data and market moves that actually make esports profitable — plus who’s already doing it well.
