SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Over half (55%) of UK adults will be hedging their bets on this Saturday’s Grand National, according to a survey of 2,000 UK adults commissioned by online payments company Skrill. According to the survey, punters will place, on average, £10 each trying to pick a winner at Aintree this weekend, suggesting that bets on the Grand National could top £270m this year.
High-street bookmakers are still the preferred place for betting according to 57% of those surveyed, but hot on the heels in second place is betting online or via a mobile app with (56%) also saying they would choose this method. Workplace favourite – the sweepstake – remains popular as well, with 16% of UK adults getting involved in one for this year’s race.
Almost a fifth (19%) of the UK will bet on just one sporting event this year, and it would most likely be on the Grand National. Despite being less likely to bet on a sporting event throughout the year, 52% of women who will do so are likely to pick the Grand National, spending an average of £6 per bet. This is compared to the 58% of UK adult males who will place £14 on the race.
Not surprisingly, almost a third (29%) of Liverpudlians will place a bet on the famous race, getting into the spirit of the local event. Locals are also likely to up the stakes too and place double the UK average amount of £10 with bets of £20. A big jump from those in Worcester who will only bet an average of £1.33 each, the lowest in the UK.
Paul Barclay, VP Gambling and FX at Skrill, commented: “Year on year we’re seeing continued growth in online and mobile betting for the gambling operators with which we work. This is due in part to how the operators are making it easier and more convenient for their customers, using digital wallets, to have a cheeky flutter on sporting events like the Grand National. There will always be a place on the UK high-street for the bookmakers but as our lives become increasingly more mobile, we predict online and mobile gambling will continue to grow.”
The growth in online and mobile gambling is unprecedented. Recent research from Juniper Research found that online gambling bets made via mobile and tablets are expected to reach $62bn globally by 2018 – a 600 per cent increase on the $10bn wagered worldwide in 2013.
