Press note
Polymarket Sports and Esports: Esports Took 21.4% of the Money on the Thinnest Books
21.4%Esports share of observed Polymarket money
$155.8 million of $727.0 million in 251 observed hours, 21 August to 12 September 2026, more than soccer, tennis or U.S. sports
Of $727.0 million of Polymarket trading Vultax observed from 21 August to 12 September 2026, esports took 21.4%, peaking mid-morning UTC. Before start on 12–13 September, a typical League of Legends book held $413 within 2 cents; an NFL game $523,000. Esports carried the most money of any sport on Polymarket in Vultax's record, on the thinnest books of any sport measured. It came in a rush: League of Legends markets averaged about $1.1 million an hour between 08:00 and 11:00 UTC, the evening in Seoul and Shanghai, and $18,000 at 03:00. The books underneath are nothing alike. Yet the largest wallet in a typical League of Legends market held a quarter of the money, against 58% in an NFL market.
Observed 2026-08-21T12:00Z to 2026-09-12T18:00Z, population: 251 observed hours of Polymarket trading.
Supporting figures
- $413 — Typical League of Legends match book within 2¢ of the priceMedian over 51 Polymarket markets, readings up to six hours before start, 12–13 September 2026; an NFL game held $523K
- 25% — Largest wallet's share of a League of Legends marketMedian over 878 markets, 21 August to 12 September 2026; 58% for NFL markets and 65% for college football
- $1.2M — League of Legends at its busiest hourAverage traded at 10:00 UTC per observed hour, 21 August to 12 September 2026; at 03:00 UTC it was $18,000
Images
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Links
- The study
- Full text, sources and method
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- Plain text for quoting and for assistants
- Chart figures (CSV)
- The numbers behind the headline chart
- All datasets (JSON)
- Every published table and chart, with units and sources
- Open the Polymarket market directory
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Press contact
Vultax Research — [email protected]
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How to cite
Olguin, Joe, Polymarket Sports and Esports: Esports Took 21.4% of the Money on the Thinnest Books, 2026-10-28, https://vultax.com/research/polymarket-sports-and-esports-markets
Published 2026-09-06, last revised 2026-10-28. Figures are the published study; live screens move. Plain-text version, Use our data