Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2026 report showed that sports apps saw record downloads in 2025, with sportsbook and casino platforms at the centre of the growth. 

Global downloads for sportsbook and casino apps saw year-on-year growth of 34%, despite a decline of 6% in the US. 

Adoption in new markets including Brazil drove the sector-wide boom, with Betano being the most downloaded sports app in the country. 

Meanwhile, Flashscore, Betnacional and bet365 rounded out the country’s top four, and Sportingbet, H2bet, Betão bet and Superbet made the top 10, hammering home the dominance of the sector in the area.

Globally, Indian fantasy sports platform Dream11 topped the list. Dream11’s inclusion on the list will likely provide some relief to company leadership following the ban on real-money games in India last year, prompting the firm to embark on an extensive international expansion drive.

Following Dream11 were streaming platform and betting operator DAZN and football media app BeSoccer, while live scores app, sports media and sports betting affiliate marketing Flaschore ranked fifth.

“The State of Mobile 2026 report confirms what we see in our raw data: sports fans are increasingly demanding speed and depth over simple content,” said Martin Matejka, Marketing Director of Flashscore.

“This dual achievement highlights a rare dominance in the mobile ecosystem: Flashscore is not only maintaining the largest global audience but is also acquiring new users faster than any competitor in the sector. 

“For the betting and sports marketing industries, these numbers represent a massive, highly engaged audience that relies on Flashscore for instant data, making it a critical touchpoint for real-time sports consumption.”

Changing landscapes from India to America

Dream 11’s inclusion on the list will likely provide some relief to company leadership following the ban on real-money games in India last year, prompting the firm to embark on an extensive international expansion drive.

Despite a slight dip in the US – likely due to the introduction of regulatory restrictions in areas like California, Texas and Georgia – the emergence of Pick ‘em apps halted the slide. 

Apps such as Underdog (+39%) and Sleeper (+15%) saw substantial growth, while established names including betMGM (-33%), FanDuel (-17%) and DraftKings (-15%) all experienced double digit falls. 

The figures around BetMGM, FanDuel and DraftKings could indicate a plateauing of the US sportsbook market, as smaller competitors find their niche and predictions markets like Kalshi and Polymarket continue to grow – though the latter two were not featured on Sensor Tower’s list.

Separetely, Underdog, Sleeper and fellow Pick ‘em apps like PrizePicks and Betr Picks have targeted US markets inaccessible to traditional sportsbooks, as they are often categorised as Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) apps and are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as betting platforms.

The gap in monthly active users share in the region has closed significantly, with 37% of users now on Pick ‘em apps and 63% on sportsbetting apps. This is a stark contrast to around three years ago, when sportsbetting apps had 79% of users. 

Even though the gap is closing, FanDuel still ranked as the 3rd most downloaded sports app in the US, ahead of PrizePicks in fourth and fifth placed DraftKings. 

FanDuel also made the top 10 in Canada, ranking fifth, behind second placed bet365 and third placed Ontario Gaming and Lottery Group (OLG), but ahead of Stake in sixth and DAZN in seventh. The latter was also the third most downloaded sports app in Argentina.

Mexico’s top 10 was betting-heavy, with Caliente Casino, DAZN, betmexico.mx and Betmaster making up the top four respectively. 

Playdoit (sixth) ranked ahead of Rushbet (seventh), Betano (eighth) and LiveScore (10th) in a country which could see further growth this summer when it plays host to the World Cup.