According to Entain, a global gaming and sports betting company, 2021 will be the year of a boost for international cricket betting. The reason for that prediction is the popularity of the Ashes Series and the Big Bash League in Australia, both of which have opened just a few days ago.
Entain believes that in the upcoming year, both long-time fans and people who have recently started following cricket will contribute to the increased interest in cricket betting. These predictions have the potential to become a reality, especially when we take a look at the numbers so far.
Betting on Cricket is Showing Persistent Growth That Will Continue in 2022
Based on their numbers from 2021, Entain reports that cricket fans have placed as many as 2.8 million bets up until November of this year. That said, the gaming company predicts that with the opening of the two major cricket events in Australia, the number of cricket bets placed solely in December can reach up to half a million. That estimation could mean that cricket bets placed for the entire 2021 across all betting platforms could amount to 3.3 million.
If these estimates end up being true, this will beat the previous record for the highest number of cricket bets, which was achieved in 2019. During the year preceding the global pandemic, fans of cricket placed a total of 3.2 million bets across all brands of the group. Meanwhile, last year, punters from the UK recorded one of the highest cricket betting activities globally as the Ashes were hosted in England.
According to Andrew Harriott, Entain’s Cricket Trading Leader, British and Australian punters are the ones that enjoy betting on the Ashes the most. He noted that Australia is a very strong competitor, with numerous punters choosing them as this year’s favourites. Despite the huge interest among British and Australian bettors, Harriott also noted that punters from South Africa and Germany have also been quite active when it comes to cricket betting.
While Many Bettors Enjoy the Ashes, Other Cricket Events Also Contribute to Higher Betting Activity
The increasing popularity of cricket among bettors is definitely attributed to the Ashes, which is a huge cricket event enjoyed internationally. That said, other white-ball and short-term cricket events have also contributed to the increasing interest in cricket betting among punters from different countries.
It is expected that the largest number of bets during this Ashes series will come from Australian punters. The reason for that is the time difference, with matches being played during the nighttime in the UK. As a way to prepare for the upcoming events, Entain’s main Australian brand, Ladbrokes, is working on different media content. This includes a promotional video that introduces Ben Stokes, England’s top player who has scored three of his all-time highest scores against Australia.
The exclusive video is just the latest addition to the series of exclusive media content that Entain provides to promote major international sporting events. Just the Australia branch of Ladbrokes has already published more than 100 videos which have generated 232 million views.
- Author
Olivia Cole
