Cricket: operators expect record betting on the Ashes
With the Ashes underway, sports betting operators are expecting betting on cricket to reach a record high.
UK.- Sports betting operators in the UK are expecting betting on cricket to reach a record high as the Ashes get underway in Australia.
Entain has estimated that bettors have already placed 2.8 million bets on cricket in 30 regulated markets and expects around 500,000 bets to be placed in December.
That would take the annual total for betting on cricket past the record 3.2 million bets placed in 2019 pre-pandemic.
The UK was one of the main contributors to that total in a year that saw England host the Ashes series and won the Cricket World Cup, but interest is spreading.
The Ashes tournament is taking place in Australia this year, and the Big Bash League also gets underway down under this month.
With matches being played overnight in the UK, Australian fans are expected to drive betting, and Entain’s Ladbrokes is preparing new media content to use in the country. However, operators in the UK and elsewhere also expect significant interest.
Andrew Harriott, cricket trading leader at Entain, said: “Cricket fans in both the UK and Australia most enjoy betting on who will lift the Ashes, with Australia entering this series as the strong favourites to win, but we also see fans from many other countries – notably South Africa and Germany – getting involved.
“While the Ashes are an iconic international fixture, the rise of short form white-ball cricket events like the Big Bash or IPL have captured fans’ interest creating exciting events that have helped grow the interest in cricket and generates the majority of betting interest from fans.”
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Last week, Entain and the racetrack operator Arena Racing Company (ARC) launched a joint venture that will provide greyhound racing to operators and other industry stakeholders. The companies said Premier Greyhound Racing will be “the global home for greyhound entertainment”.
