Fancy a spot of sports betting? Here are some of the biggest sporting events that attract the largest betting volumes.
Sports brings people together in many ways. Families and friends from all over the world gather in their homes or the pub to watch the hottest matches of the season throughout the year. Simply put, nothing beats the thrills and all the nail-biting moments of the game.
Just imagine throwing sports betting into the mix! Sports betting enthusiasts continue to express their interest in placing their bets on events that take place on both a local and international scale. Given that this is a billion dollar industry, you shouldn’t be surprised by the fact that such sporting events not only attract an impressive viewership, but also generate large gambling volumes.
The Rising Popularity of Online Sports Betting in the UK
The United Kingdom is one of several countries in the world that legalises and regulates online gambling. In fact, UK residents have endless opportunities to try their hand at a variety of options, including online casino games, online poker, live casino etc. Like casino games, sports betting is also extremely popular on British soil.
The proof you need is in the stats. Back in July, the UK Gambling Commission carried out a report. The figures show that sports betting remains the most popular gambling activity, with almost 35% being spent online and at local venues. More so, casino games came second scoring 27% (online and at venues), whilst the National Lottery came in 3rd place, with 22.3%.
Alan – a sports betting expert at mybettingsite.uk tells us that online sports betting is well and truly here to stay. Based on those figures, Alan tells us that he expects the online sports betting sector to hit more targets in the years to come.
Seeing as sports betting secured the top spot, it’s time to delve a little deeper into what UK sport bettors enjoy betting on. We’ll tell you one thing; bettors are well and truly spoiled for choice. Not a footie fan? No problem! There are other events you can place your bets on.
To name a few, UK sports bettors can bet on a myriad of events, including football, basketball, American football, hockey, eSports, boxing, golf, tennis, mixed martial arts and handball. What’s great about this is that events aren’t solely limited to the UK. On the contrary, betting enthusiasts can also place their bets on large scale events. Some of these include the English Premiere League, the FIFA World Cup, the Grand National, Formula 1, UFC, the Super Bowl, March Madness, the Six Nations and many others.
Seeing as there are so many events that UK players can bet on, there are obviously quite a number of bets the players can place. Generally speaking, most UK sportsbooks straight bets, parlays, teasers, pleasers, in-play and a variety of exotic cards. As you can see, you definitely have options!
Considering the fact that these sporting events attract so many audiences around the world, their betting volumes are huge. We’re talking 6 figure numbers here! Keep reading to find out what else we have to say about the subject.
Top Sporting Events
From what we’ve seen so far, there’s no denying that the sports betting industry is doing quite well on both a local and international scale. Bearing this in mind, we will now be looking at the top sporting events of the year that generate the largest annual revenues.
The Grand National
We can’t write a post about sporting events, without giving Britain’s very own horse-racing extravaganza a worthy mention. Without a doubt, the Grand National one of the most thrilling horse racing tournaments that features a 6.907 km racetrack, along with 30 jumps.
Horse racing enthusiasts, pro bettors, A-list celebrities, along with members of the Royal Family are always in attendance. On top of that, it is an event that attracts 600 million viewers, amongst them viewers enjoying a local brew at their favourite Swindon pub. In other words, it is one of the most watched television events in the world. If we look at some betting stats, the 2017 edition generated around £400. By the end of the year, it managed to beat the betting figures of other events such as the Kentucky Derby.
FIFA World Cup
Regardless if you are a fan or not, everybody knows what the FIFA World Cup all about. It’s the ultimate football tournament that not only generates excitement across to globe, but also large betting figures every four years.
For starters, the 2018 edition generated 3.572 billion views. With regard to betting stats, approximately £136 billion were spent on bets. What’s impressive about this is that a staggering £7.2 billion alone were accumulated from the final between France and Croatia!
Formula 1
Formula 1 certainly needs no introduction. To all those who love living life on the fast lane, the motor sport word has a lot to offer to its viewers. Without a doubt, the 2020 season was just as thrilling as ever. One thing’s for sure, Sir Lewis Hamilton most definitely enjoyed the ride of his life! The 7-time champion has successfully managed to equal the number of championships Michael Schumacher had achieved throughout his career.
Whoever placed his bets on him, certainly enjoyed some great payouts. In fact, this industry generates over £600 million in betting revenues each year. If that’s not impressive, we don’t know what is!
The Six Nations
Fancy a spot of rugby? In that case, make sure not to miss out on events such as the Six Nations. Players from England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France and Italy go head to head in the ultimate rugby tournament.
Seeing all the participating countries have a long history of rivalries, this is an event that attracts sports bettors from around the globe. In fact, back in the 2018/2019 edition, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) managed to achieve over £90 million in gambling revenues.
