Cheltenham Festival to increase online gambling in the UK

The horse-racing industry will see a significant increase in both in-shop and online during this week’s festival.

UK.- New data from Worldpay has revealed that online gambling is set to experience an increase in the UK during the Cheltenham Festival, which takes place from March 12-15. Last year there was a 49% increase in online bets placed during the festival.

Worldpay’s analysis predicted that online bookies are set to experience a significant boost during the period. This is based on the fact that last year there was a high number of betting activity through mobile devices between 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm, the timeframe when the races are on live TV.

Steffan Jones, Vice President for Gaming at Worldpay, said: “Horseracing is one of the most popular betting activities in the UK, and with over nine million people betting online in 2017, this figure is only set to rise. For digitally savvy punters mobile devices enable them to place bets anytime, anywhere, so it’s important for operators every part of the journey makes it as enjoyable as possible.

“It’s not just about ensuring adding funds is frictionless; in this age of online expediency, fast payouts are equally important,” added Jones.