The sports betting industry has had a successful World Cup, with operators reporting that the tournament generated record handles that even exceeded those of other established competitions in the US.
Caesars Entertainment reported that the World Cup generated a “30% greater bet count” compared to both the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments, while DraftKings recorded a 650% increase in bets across the tournament, as BetMGM reported a 211% increase compared to four years ago.
Hard Rock Bet SVP of sportsbook, Neil Walsh, even commented that the World Cup “will go down as the biggest betting event in American history,” comparing it to the worth of 10 Super Bowls.
The extended tournament format, which welcomed 48 teams across 104 matches, is partially to thank for the rise in bets, as well as the more favorable time zones for North American bettors. The final, which saw Spain take on Argentina, was the most bet-on soccer match for DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars in terms of handle and wagers. BetMGM said the final outperformed the likes of March Madness, the NBA finals, the Stanley Cup final, and the World Series game in the past year, while DraftKings said that it had handled two million more bets during the final, and Caesars took up to a 65% handle compared to its last record match.