Sportsbook operators have revealed the extent of the surge in betting on female sporting events as the Women’s World Cup reaches its penultimate stage. William Hill has accepted 900,000 wagers so far on the tournament that is taking place in New Zealand and Australia.
While these numbers are a bit lower than the volume for the European Women’s Championship last summer, a company spokesperson believes a possible explanation is the morning kick-off times.
Entain, which owns major betting brands like Coral and Ladbrokes, noted the “exponential growth” in interest in women’s soccer. 20% of the bets on England’s three group stage World Cup games were made by females.
The German Sports University Cologne published a study last month which shows the rapid growth in betting interest on women’s soccer, with the number of females betting on the sport doubling annually.