Entain has predicted that 2021 will be a record-breaking year for international betting on cricket as fans celebrate the opening of the Ashes Series and the Big Bash League in Australia.

So far, punters from around the world have placed 2.8 million bets on cricket with the company, a figure that Entain expects will skyrocket by a further half a million bets in December alone. And its estimate isn’t just wishful thinking.

The company believes that cricket’s rising popularity among international audiences, especially the rise of shorter events like the Big Bash and Indian Premier League (IPL), will see betting activity reach new heights.

Andrew Harriott, Cricket Trading Leader at Entain, commented: “Cricket fans in both the UK and Australia most enjoy betting on who will lift the Ashes, with Australia entering this series as the strong favourites to win, but we also see fans from many other countries — notably South Africa and Germany — getting involved.

“While the Ashes are an iconic international fixture, the rise of short form white-ball cricket events, like the Big Bash or IPL, have captured fans’ interest, creating exciting events that have helped grow the interest in cricket.”

To capitalise on this anticipated surge in activity, Entain has prepared new media content from Ladbrokes to engage Australian fans. This includes a video introducing English player, Ben Stokes, who has achieved three of his seven highest scores against Australia.

If its predictions prove accurate, the British betting giant will beat its previous record set in 2019, when Entain took 3.2 million bets on cricket across all its brands.