Ahead of Sunday’s final between hosts England and Germany, Entain delved further into the betting trends, revealing that 14% of the 1.5 million online bets were placed by women.
In the UK specifically, Ladbrokes and Coral have experienced a fivefold increase in the number of bets placed on the tournament versus the Women’s Euro 2017, while there has been a sixfold increase in bets placed by women.
UK fans have been the biggest bettors on the tournament with 46% of total bets, followed by Germany and Brazil with 22% and 16% respectively. And from the beginning of the tournament, almost 60% of outright bets from the UK have backed England to win, while similarly almost 60% of outright bets from Germany have backed Germany to win.
“This is a significant milestone for women’s football, which has been touted as the fastest growing female sport in the world,” a statement from Entain read.
“Women’s Euro 2022 itself is expected to reach a global live audience of more than 250 million across 195 territories, up from a global audience of 178 million for Women’s Euro 2017 in the Netherlands.”
Entain added that the sports betting industry in general is witnessing a similar boost in interest in women’s sport, with the number of online bets on the 2021-22 Women’s UEFA Champions League climbing 61% from the 2019-20 tournament, while the 2021-22 Women’s FA Cup saw 130% more online bets than its 2019-20 equivalent. The two competitions also reported increases in bets from women of 79% and 212% respectively over the same timeframe.
“Women’s football has seen a phenomenal rise in popularity in recent years, generating an incredible buzz for the sport,” said Julie Doleman, Managing Director UK & Ireland Digital at Entain. “This has also been reflected in betting activity on women’s football matches, which has grown at similarly seismic rates – particularly amongst female customers.
“At Entain, we are perfectly placed with our bench-strength of global sporting brands to offer our fans exciting experiences and get them close to the action. With the FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place next year, we’re really excited to see what lies ahead for the sport.”
