Without a championship tournament for the men this summer, FIFA Women’s World Cup has managed to pick up a lot of the attention from football fans. The fact that the tournament is being played in Australia and New Zealand has also resulted in very favorable game times for the important European market. I know there are a lot of fans enjoying their summer holiday that are very excited about having big games to watch around lunch time.
Besides the regular fans, sports betting is also striving during the World Cup this year. Normally the women’s tournament is far less attractive than the mens in terms of viewership. But, if you are looking for fun and interesting bets, it’s a great opportunity.
Team England will be in the World Cup final
Great Performances Mean More Betting
A lot of the interest in specific markets will depend on the national team’s performance. The fact that the Lionesses from England just secured a spot in the World Cup final against Spain this Sunday is going to attract an even bigger interest from sports bettors.
Fresh Survey Shows Good Numbers
A recent survey about the interest among sports gamblers in the UK are showing good numbers. According to the report, as many as 22% of all UK bettors said that they are very likely or fairly likely to bet on the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. This is in addition to the 8% who had already placed at least one bet in the tournament.
What Defines A Sports Gambler?
For those of you who are curious what is considered a sports gambler for this particular survey, it is anyone who has placed one or more bets on a sporting event during the past 6 months.
Slightly Higher Percentage Among Regular Gamblers
While the 22% covered the above definition, the percentage was a bit higher among those who bet at least once a month. For this “second group” of bettors, the ones who would bet on the Women’s World Cup was 32%.
TV Coverage generates more interest
Kick Off Time Matters
I have already mentioned the great kick off times for Europeans and believe it or not, this also has an effect on the numbers. If you are into sports betting, you are more likely to place bets if you are also following the games on TV.
The betting appetite is higher among those who watch the tournament closely and according to the survey, as many as 36% of these viewers reported being likely to place a bet. Then there are those who follow the event fairly closely and in this case 17% of them said they are likely to place bets.
Betting Demographics
As far as the demographics and potential bettors go, it’s no surprise that the male/female split is 72% men vs 28% women. What is a bit surprising though is the fact that when it comes to sports bettors in general, women actually make up a bigger part (33%).
I’m not sure why they don’t share the same interest in women’s football, which after all is globally one of the biggest sporting events there is for women.
The Youngsters Are Leading the Charge
The biggest group of bettors during the FIFA Women’s World Cup are young Brits between the ages of 18-35. It’s interesting that these people only represent 34% of all sports gamblers, yet they dominate the action during this tournament by taking up 57% of all bettors.
On top of that, this group only represents 26% of the total British population.
What about the rest? Well, the second biggest age demographic is 35-54, who takes up 34%.
What Makes People Want to Bet?
Obviously betting companies do their best to attract players and their job is to figure out what brings them in. All age groups respond to different marketing strategies and when the betting interest for young people is this high, they better do their homework.
The survey has the answer this time and the responses about what factors would motivate consumers to bet on the event, the biggest contributors are:
- Attractive Odds – 37%
- Promotions – 35%
If you ask me, I would say this is the same for any event and besides offering good odds and special promotions, what else is there for sports books to do?
The Lionesses from England are very popular
Support Your Team
There are of course other contributing factors to why people choose to place bets during tournaments like this one:
- Supporting a Team – 32%
- To Get More Engaged in Games – 27%
- Supporting and/or Knowing a Player – 26%
Not everyone has a club team they support but most people tend to get more engaged during national team games. Those who personally know a player or feel like they do, are also more likely to place bets.
Betting Recommendations
Massive tournaments like the World Cup are often the first time a lot of people place a bet. Hearing friends or family doing it triggers your interest and you tend to listen to what they say if you are unsure about your own knowledge.
The biggest sources of information before placing your bets are the following:
- Friends Recommendations – 20%
- Bettor’s Guides to the Women’s World Cup – 17%
- Gambling Experts – 13%
Get ready for a great World Cup weekend
Big Weekend Coming Up
The survey only covered the UK market but there is definitely a ton of sports betting taking place all around the world during the tournament. Only two games remain and you can expect a big weekend.
First, on Saturday, the host nation Australia will take on Sweden for the bronze. Then on Sunday, the World Cup final between England and Spain will close out the tournament.
Stay tuned for my weekly betting report tomorrow!
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