World Cup to Spur Record-Level Wagering Increase

We know football is a sportsbook staple; the increase in betting activity that takes place during the World Cup befits sport's greatest spectacle. 

In a report commissioned by sports spread betting leader Sporting Index, corporate research think tank Regulus Insights raised expectations that the UK sports betting industry would top out at over £100.

Regulus further predicted betting volumes to increase by 50% over betting figures over for the last World Cup in 2010.

Technological Innovation Increases Volume

Increased activity is due as much to technological innovation as bettor motivation. Revenues and gross win generation are set to break records due to the increased support provided by mobile and in-play functionalities among sportbooks, resulting in the predicted gross win revenue being set in the range of £50 to £100 million.

Boomerang Effect

This has to come as positive news to UK-based sports betting operators who have been negotiating through recent unfavourable football results in English Premiership wagering activity and volumes shared in January and March 2014, adding up to a total of £30 million in combined bookmaking losses.

The Regulus report suggests that these losses can be made up and exceeded by profits, implying that sports bettors are now hedging somewhat from league wagering leading into the World Cup.

All Eyes on the World Cup

Like the rest of the world, it appears that sports bettors turned their eyes to the World Cup the moment calendar year of 2014 rang in, promising a substantial windfall for the UK sports betting industry. That being said, the question is no longer if, but how much.