SPORTS BETTING

UK – OpenBet processes more than 200m bets during World Cup

By Phil - 21 December 2022

OpenBet’s customers processed more than 200m bets across all channels at this year’s World Cup, with more than $2bn wagered during the month-long tournament.

The betting activity demonstrated a 13 per cent increase in bets compared to the 2018 World Cup, solidifying  OpenBet’s position as a world leader in delivering the very best in sports betting entertainment during the globe’s biggest sporting events.

The 2022 World Cup has been marked by a high level of engagement, with practically every region of the world represented for the majority of the tournament. This was reflected in record viewing figures, with FIFA estimating that more than 1.5 billion people, 20 per cent of the world’s population, watched the final. Furthermore, the thrilling nature of the game led to a boost of in-play activity – around a third of bets and nearly half of stakes were in-play for the final, representing a significant increase on the figures typically seen.

The tournament saw record-breaking performances for European and Canadian customers, reporting an increase in engagement levels of 22 per cent and 21 per cent respectively.

12+ million bets were placed on USA’s World Cup fixtures, with England v USA being the highlight, seeing 5.6 million bets. Altogether, the USA’s matches garnered $100m in stakes, demonstrating the growing appeal of betting on soccer from US players.

The World Cup has been over 200 per cent the size of March Madness across North American operators, further highlighting the increased appetite for the sport with North American customers.

Strong demand for BetBuilder, with OpenBet’s leading product processing more than 5 times the number of bets processed during Euro 2020. Over 50 per cent of BetBuilder stakes were from US bettors.

Jordan Levin, CEO at OpenBet, said: “This year’s World Cup has been a record-breaker in terms of engagement, and we are thrilled to have provided operators and bettors with an experience to match the sporting spectacle displayed in Qatar.

“Alongside a strong performance in Europe, the growth we have seen in North American markets demonstrates our ability to cater to these rapidly regulating jurisdictions, and this also puts us in good stead for the 2026 World Cup, set to be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

“The massive figures are further evidence that OpenBet is the partner of choice to deliver on the biggest sporting stages with the scale and reliability to fuel memorable betting experiences.”