Online sports betting to rise by up to 25 percent ahead of 2019/2020 Premier League season kick off

By analyzing eCommerce transaction data of regulated gaming clients in the U.K. processed by its recently acquired Worldpay merchant business over the last two football seasons, FIS predicts that the opening match on Friday 9 August will see the biggest spike in sports betting activity.

Data from the Worldpay from FIS solution suite has found:

    In the hour preceding last year’s opening game*, online betting volumes rose by 72 percent when compared to the previous season
    The opening day of 2018’s football season saw a 25 percent increase in online betting compared to the same day in the previous season
    The average value of bets placed during last year’s season dropped by 12 percent last year, despite the overall increase in betting volumes – indicating that punters prefer betting as a regular low-risk activity, rather than a high-stakes opportunity

    Online betting made up 97 percent of all bets placed during the football season, showing that punters are opting for speed and convenience.

Motie Bring, General Manager for EMEA, Global Enterprise eCommerce, at FIS said: “Football has always been one of the U.K.’s favourite sports for placing a bet, and this trend continues to grow apace. Our data shows that punters are placing bets more often, although they are spending less on individual bets. This indicates that they are turning to football betting as a fun pastime and another way to enjoy the game, rather than chasing a big win. Betting on a match helps spectators feel more personally invested in the game, and people are more and more willing to place a small bet as a way capturing this feeling.”

“Sports betting is growing across the board, but the big winner is ecommerce – online is still the preferred method for placing a bet on the football anytime, anywhere. The challenge for operators this year will be maintaining an exceptional user experience during times of increased traffic. The biggest gains will go to those who are able to provide a seamless end-to-end experience, from frictionless fund top-ups all the way to speedy ."