Operator Entain has released player activity information from the Paris 2024 Olympic games, highlighting a record amount of betting traffic, with basketball being the most popular sport by bet volume.
The company recorded double the amount of betting volume at this summer’s Olympics, compared to the previous Tokyo 2020 games – making Paris 2024 Entain’s most popular Olympic Games on record. Basketball took the top spot as the most wagered-on sport, followed by football, tennis and volleyball. The most wagered-on individual event was the men’s basketball final between the USA and France.
Further, both swimming and athletics saw notable spikes in popularity, which brought them both into the top 10 most wagered on sports, coming in 10th and eighth respectively. Unsurprisingly, the most popular athletics event was the Men’s 100m final, which saw Noah Lyles – whose price fell from 5/4 to 9/2 after an average heats performance – deliver a good result for bettors. From Entain’s perspective, the operator reports that its best result came from the Men’s 1500m final, which saw a surprising win from 20/1 Cole Hocker.
Despite delivering record statistics, the amount of wagering activity at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is sure to be a mere fraction of the traffic generated by sporting events such as Euro 2024 or the Copa America. Entain, however, will be pleased that Olympic gambling activity remains on an upward trajectory. This latest update closely follows the release of Enatin's H1 results last week, in which the sportsbook reported a 6% increase in total group net gaming revenue.
Entain’s Head of Sports, Arild Ostbo, said: “This was an unforgettable Olympics in Paris where global superstars showcased their athletic prowess. The world's biggest sports event continues to grow in popularity and betting interest. For our customers, the time zone of Paris compared to Tokyo three years ago provided a much better window for people to engage and bet on.”
