UK operators ended the tournament with a bang, with Sky Bet and bet365 going head-to-head by offering players the same super boost – at least one shot on target for both Kylian Mbappe and Messi.
Releasing its boost with odds of evens earlier in the week, Sky Bet customers who wagered a maximum of £10 ($12.21) saw their stake double to £20, for £10 in profit.
However, as is typical with bet365 – releasing its super boost an hour before kick-off – the operator offered the same boost with odds of 6/4. Players who bet a maximum stake of £10 received £25.
While this may have seemed like a win for bet365 in driving customer engagement and “one-upping” its operating rival, it could be argued that Sky Bet had the last laugh, with goals for both Messi and Mbappe giving customers a super boost win and forcing bet365 to pay out more than its rival.
Although, for a company as big as bet365, a short-term loss may be worth it for long-term engagement.
Elsewhere, Drake continued his high-figure sports betting spree, placing $1m on Argentina to win in 90 minutes.
He would surely have thought this was a banker, even after 75 minutes of play, with France looking far off the pace until some Mbappe brilliance changed the course of the tie.
With the tie sent into extra time, Drake lost yet another big-money bet. This followed his $2m betting loss on former UFC champion Israel Adesanya to defend his title against Alex Pereira last month.
It was good news for the majority of crypto bettors, however, who were largely backing Argentina to lift the trophy since the start of the tournament.
This is according to data from Cloudbet, which revealed that Argentina lifting the World Cup was the most popular wager among crypto bettors.
