The National Basketball Association (NBA) is making quite the impact across Europe, according to the latest betting stats from Entain.

During its tour around the Old Continent, the North American professional basketball league enjoyed a healthy interest from European bettors, which is good news for its ambitions to deepen its international presence.

Record-breaking participation

Momentum has been growing since the very start of the NBA’s European campaign when the league first landed in Paris back in January 2025, with the San Antonio Spurs taking on the Indiana Pacers in two regular-season matchups.

With Frenchman Victor Wembanyama flying back home as part of the Spurs’ lineup, Entain recorded “one of the most impressive uplifts in stakes” in the entire tour, with fan participation in the host nation going up 241% compared to a typical NBA week.

The Paris games also proved quite popular in Italy and Germany, with stakes going up 119% and 72% respectively.

Records were again broken when the NBA arrived in Berlin on 15 January 2026, with German participation rates skyrocketing by 274%. Similarly, interest in the first-ever NBA regular-season game held in Berlin was also high in Italy, with stakes going up 110%, and Greece – with an 68% uptick.

Local basketball fans would’ve been pleased when the Berlin-born brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner, together with fellow countryman Tristan da Silva, led the Orlando Magic to a comeback victory against the Memphis Grizzlies. 

Both teams then traveled to London for another showdown just days later, on 18 January, where the Grizzlies managed to get revenge with a decisive victory over Orlando Magic. 

Although more conservative compared to the previous two events, interest was again on the rise, with Entain recording 19% more stakes in the UK, a 28% uptick in Germany, and 35% higher numbers in France.

Based on the outlined interest, it is safe to conclude that Italy will most likely also host its first-ever regular-season NBA game soon.

Rene Simanovic, Entain’s Head of European Basketball, said: “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.

“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.”

An unrealised opportunity?

Similar opportunities could maybe be found in other American sports, particularly the NFL, which has been enjoying considerable growth across Europe over the past few years particularly in the UK and Germany. Spain and Ireland have also joined the American football fray.

If Entain’s data is anything to go by, operators across these markets may benefit from looking into how they can further build out audiences for sports like football and basketball through trading, marketing and other disciplines.