(Bloomberg) — Whoever ends up taking the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 title on Sunday, female soccer is emerging victorious.
As of July 28, Entain Plc had registered a record 1.5 million online bets on the tournament across its sports betting brands, the gambling firm said in a statement on Friday.
UK punters placed the most, measuring 46% of the total, followed by bettors in Germany at 22% and Brazil at 16%. In the UK, Entain has seen a sixfold increase in bets placed by women, compared with the previous tournament in 2017.
Interest in women’s soccer has surged this year as television channels across Europe broadcast the contest during peak viewing hours.
The England side, dubbed The Lionesses, blasted through the group stages and beat Spain and Sweden in the quarter- and semi-finals to seal their place in the final against Germany at Wembley Stadium in London.
So far, 72% of bets placed with Entain’s brand Ladbrokes Digital UK back England to claim the trophy within 90 minutes of play.
Women’s Euro 2022 is expected to reach a global live audience of more than 250 million, up from 178 million in 2017, Entain said.
The rising popularity of female soccer “has also been reflected in betting activity on women’s football matches, which has grown at similarly seismic rates – particularly amongst female customers,” said Julie Doleman, Entain’s managing director for UK & Ireland Digital.
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