Football (or soccer depending on your preference) is one of the most bet on sports in the world, driving over 70% of all global sports bets each year. With such a large market share, both iGaming affiliates and operators should be aware of current events and how popular leagues are shaping up to provide an enhanced player experience and the best possible offers to users.
Did You Know: The FIFA World Cup is single most bet-on sporting event in the world. Only held every 4 years, on average match can generate over 2 billion euros in bets wagered.
In the past few weeks, the top European leagues kicked off the 22/23 season, meaning punters are already lining up to place bets on their favorite teams. In this article we will cover how betting in this sport works and explore the most popular league in the world, the English Premier League!
How Does Betting on Soccer Work?
Soccer betting is different than other traditionally bet-on sports like basketball, American football, cricket, boxing and more. For these sports, bets are usually made by choosing which team will win a match (money line betting), or on how many points the teams will score during the match (point spread betting).
For Affiliates and Operators: It can be helpful to have an in-depth “how-to” guide explaining the general practices for soccer betting on your website. Such steps can enhance player experience and drive user retention.
However, soccer typically has low scoring games, leading to more tires than other sports. Interestingly, the EPL had a draw percentage of 23% for the 21/22 season and 88 matches out of 380 ended in a tie. To get around this, bookmakers introduced the draw option to classic money line betting so that punters could also choose to place wagers on this outcome. Along with that, a newer betting option is the double chance bet, where you can bet that a team will win or draw, giving punters two options to win in a game!
English Premier League: Updates
England’s Premier League is one of the most popular sports leagues in the world, reportedly bringing in over 4.7 billion views per year. Some of its biggest clubs include the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. Additionally, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the league and it’s sure to be a thrill.
In terms of who will win the league this season, most experts predict it will either be Manchester City or Liverpool. Teams like Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal are favoured to do well, but City and Liverpool have proven their dominance over the last few years. Another point of note for this season is that three new teams have been promoted from the division below: Bournemouth, Fulham and Nottingham Forrest. It is too early to tell how these teams will perform amongst the giants but they certainly have what it takes to bring fans to the edge of their seats.
English Premier League: Marketing Strategies
While debate rages on in the UK on whether Premier League teams should have sportsbook providers as their shirt sponsors, there are plenty of other exciting ways for brands to promote the excitement of the Premier League to their users.
Firstly, with the length of soccer games and the consistent changing of a game’s odds (which is being shown more prominently during telecasts), focusing on live in-game betting is paramount. Promoting in-game betting and the value it brings to punters can bring plenty of added value for operators.
Things change rapidly in the Premier League and that’s also true for betting on it. Earlier this summer, with a new coach and the enthusiasm surrounding it, Manchester United were the most backed team to win the PL title, according to Betfair. Shortly into the season, they’ve lost games and fans are quickly turning on them. What does it all mean? Stay on top of the trends and market deals to your punters accordingly! Monitor which teams and players are generating the most buzz using social media and Google trend tools, then be sure to offers exciting bets for these options in prominent areas of your site or app.
There’s also the World Cup beginning in late November, which can be used by brands to generate increased interest in the Premier League. Before and after the World Cup, brands should look to promote key players who are taking part in the massive tournament in Qatar, like Cristian Pulisic (Chelsea) for the US, Harry Kane (Tottenham) for England or the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) for Portugal.
Key Takeaways
It’s an exciting time in the soccer world, with the Premier League kicking off and the 2022 World Cup right around the corner in November. Brands should be prepared for this rush of interest from users and look to parlay it into consistent engagement throughout the year.
