November 16 – If the betting markets are a reflection of interest in a sports event then the Nations League that entered its final rounds this week is a success, with a significant increase in the total amount wagered on matches compared to comparable volumes on friendlies that would have been played previously.
The competitive nature of the competition and the fixtures has seen punters on average increase volumes per game by £2 million in the UK
The recent Spain vs England Nations League fixture on October 15 saw punters spend an extra £4m when compared with the same friendly fixture in 2016, an increase of about 25%.
Online aggregator Bet-Bonus-Codes.co.uk said: “Bookies traditionally hate international breaks because of the low amounts placed on football betting, but the Nations League has bucked this trend and bookmakers across the country will be thankful to UEFA and the FA for helping drive increased revenues across the sector.”
The aggregator found that, on average, Nations League fixtures see a betting increase of between 10- 15% when compared to comparable friendly fixtures, which traditionally bring low revenues for bookies when compared to Premier League and international tournament games.
“The decision of various international governing bodies, including the Football Association, to participate in UEFA’s Nations League has been a very good one for bookmakers in the UK, with big moments such as England hanging on for a historical victory against Spain last month driving huge betting interest in the competition,” said the aggregator.
“We’d expect this Sunday’s game against Croatia to continue this trend, having already seen significant interest in the game after the disappointing World Cup semi-final defeat.”
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