Published
OnlineFinancialSports Betting

UK wagers £1.5bn on FIFA World Cup

The UK wagered £1.5bn ($1.9bn) on the FIFA World Cup, according to an H2 Gambling Capital study.

world cup southgate

This betting was driven by England reaching the semi-final of the competition for the first time in 28 years.

The World Cup final almost drew in more in-play bets than the FA Cup final and the Champions League final combined.

Sports betting supplier OpenBet processed over 177m bets during the World Cup, with 6.5m bets placed during the two semi-final matches between England and Croatia and France and Belgium respectively.

England’s nail-biting penalty shootout victory over Colombia drew in the most bets on a single game, with 4.5m wagers placed.

Golden Boot winner Harry Kane was the subject of 6% of the Golden Boot bets prior to the start of the tournament.

Bookies profited off the early exit of defending champion Germany, which was the most popular pre-event bet to win the World Cup.  

Keith O'Loughlin, SVP Sportsbook and Platforms at SG Digital, owner of OpenBet, said: "The World Cup is an undeniably popular event with global impact, and we're glad to see our partners perform so well. Factors such as a favourable time zone, own nation's participation and some of the favourites being beaten out early on have led to a great success story with our European customers, with some seeing peaks over 200% as compared to a normal Premier League Saturday."

The reported figures are significantly higher than the amount wagered during the World Cup in Italy and France combined, which registered €466m ($544m) and €366m respectively.

 

 

Premium+ Connections
Premium
 
Premium
 
 
 
Premium
 
Premium
 
Premium
 
Premium
 
Premium
 
Premium Connections
Consultancy
Executive Profiles
Star Sports Group
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon
Follow Us

Facing Facts: Analysing figures from emerging gambling markets

Where is the gambling market on the rise, and are there any...

Taking Stock: A guide to lottery/iLottery operator and supplier prices

Gambling Insider tracks lottery/iLottery operator and suppli...

New Horizons Cover Feature: United Arab Emirates

With its first land-based casino set to open in 2027 and a n...

New Horizons Cover Feature: Brazil

Brazil performed quite the feat by getting its heavily delay...

The best of Malta at the Global Gaming Awards

Powered by Gambling Insider, the Global Gaming Awards are th...

Preview: SiGMA Malta 2024

A place in the winter sun: SiGMA returns to the home of iGa...

Company profile: Soft2Bet

Bill 55: Advantages and challenges for Maltese operators in...

Company profile: DS Virtual Gaming

DS Virtual Gaming is a leader in the gaming industry, utilis...