Latest Trends in Sports Betting: What’s New and Popular
Wed, Jul 31, 2024
by
CapperTek
A YouGov study shows that eight out of 10 sports bettors in the US wager on the NFL. Roughly, half of the demographic also bet on basketball or baseball. Although only a quarter of American gamblers say they bet on soccer, it is by far the most wagered sport in the world.
Thirty-eight states permit sports betting in the country. Most states permit both mobile and in-person betting. In this guide, we'll look at the trends revolutionizing sports betting. Let's get started:
Mobile Betting
Mobile is the future of sports betting. More than 90% of American adults own a smartphone. Among sports fans, 60% of bettors bet through a mobile app. The percentage is projected to hit 80% by 2029.
Why is mobile betting growing so fast? The short answer is that smartphones are convenient. If you want to check match schedules, it is easier to use an app. If you want to watch a game while on the plane, you can stream the match on your iPhone.
Another reason for the increased use of mobile betting is that people use cell phones almost every hour. If you need evidence, check around while in a public place. People are always on their phones.
Internationally, smartphones are the primary source of accessing the Internet. And now that Internet access has reached global heights, it shouldn’t come as a surprise for the success of mobile betting.
Crypto Support
Crypto support is one of the emerging trends in sports betting. Some of the leading betting websites now accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT deposits. The best bookies match your first deposit 100% as a welcome bonus.
For clarity, you can also use conventional payment methods like Visa, MasterCard, ACH Payments, Apple Pay, and PayPal. Bitcoin is just one of the many ways you can deposit and withdraw money.
What are the benefits of using crypto for sports betting? Bitcoin is faster than many payment methods. It is transparent and secure—crypto uses cryptography to protect your money from hackers.
In some countries, Bitcoin is the only way you can access a sportsbook. That’s because it is borderless: you can use crypto in every part of the world.
In-Play Betting
In-play betting is another word for live betting. Here you wager on a sports match while it's in action. You can place your first bet immediately after the game starts, halfway through the game, or just a minute before the last whistle.
In a recent survey, in-play betting is now just as popular as pre-event betting. The explanation is that live betting is fun, interactive, and often displays highly competitive odds.
There’s a catch though. Odds change quickly. Assume the Lakers are leading 54-44 against the Boston Celtics in the half. If you think Boston can turn things around, this would be the best moment to place your bet.
Boston could close the gap and take a lead within a few minutes. And by then, the odds will have changed. To make money in live betting, watch every match you want to bet on.
Esports Betting
Esports betting is all the rage. Surprisingly, it is not a new thing. People have been betting on video game competitions for almost a decade. In fact, some bookies began providing eSports betting odds in 2015.
For the uninitiated, eSports betting challenges you to bet on competitions involving these famous video games:
· Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
· League of Legends
· Rocket League
· StarCraft II:
· Call of Duty
· NBA2K/Madden NFL/FIFA 23
Depending on the game, you can bet on the winner, points skills, flags collected or killed made. You can also predict the number of scores in a sports simulation game or a tournament’s projected winner.
Because it is a relatively new sport, sportsbooks don't have as much data about competitions as they do with other sports. This makes it easier to find underrated pro gamers with great odds.
Betting on Star Players
Before Lionel Messi arrived at Inter Miami from PSG, few people paid attention to the soccer club. It was a struggling team at the time, anyway. Messi's arrival changed the bettors' perspective of the club completely. It went from being a serial underdog to a top-favorite.
The same star-power-driven betting trend can be felt in the WNBA and Saudi Arabia's Pro League. Caitlin Clark's addition to Indiana Fever has incredibly changed its popularity among bettors.
In Saudi Arabia, Al Nassr’s popularity has become global. The club more than doubled its social media followers and increased sponsorships after the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo last year.
Star athletes attract fan attention. They catapult a team’s performance and change its outlook in the betting space. What’s more, star powers can win you money.
More Action During Big Games
The standard sports gambler does it for fun. Some people bet on the weekends. Some are active during mid-week. However, many Americans only think about betting when there’s a major sports event.
The Super Bowl is the biggest betting event in the country. No other game comes close. CBS News says that Americans spent $17.3 billion on the Super Bowl earlier this year. More than 25M people bet on the big game, most of them placing money-line bets.
March Madness is the second biggest sports betting event in the country. Over more than one million people bet more than $2B on college basketball action annually.
Other big events that attract plenty of betting action include the NBA finals, the Masters, ATP Tour events, NASCAR, the MLB World Series, and the World Cup.
Partial Cashout and Bonus Boosters
Sports betting websites love to give out bonuses. Free bets help bookies attract more clients. On the other hand, they help bettors boost their bankrolls. Besides the popular matched deposit bonuses, bookies have come up with incredible bonuses for loyal customers.
One of the latest betting bonuses is an option to withdraw your profits early. Usually, the free bet applies to parlay bets. However, you can also get a partial cashout option on any other bet.
Another popular bonus trending online is a bonus booster. Also known as an odds booster, this bonus magnifies your potential profits.