A highlight of the mid-July iGB L!VE forum in Amsterdam will be the release of a comprehensive examination of women’s sports and sports betting.
The study, titled “Breaking Barriers: Assessing Women’s Sports Growth, Betting Trends, and Integrity Challenges” will be presented on July 12.
The study brought together the International Betting Integrity Association, the All-In Diversity Project, Entain, Flutter and Stats Perform. The study was conducted by the German Sport University Cologne and analyzes the economic development of five women’s sports: soccer, tennis, basketball, cricket and volleyball.
What makes this report important is the review of betting trends in women’s sports for the first time while examining integrity issues.
According to Yogonet, Khalid Ali, IBIA CEO, said: “Women’s sport has moved from the margins to the mainstream—it is the future of sport and sports betting. That is why understanding the transformation of women’s sports and what it means for the sports betting market and sports integrity is so important.”
“With the Women’s Football World Cup due to start in July, this is a great moment to kick off the conversation about women’s sports, betting and integrity.”
The past five years have enjoyed a dramatic increase in the popularity of women’s sports worldwide.
Women’s Euros broke a record for attendance of 87,192. The 2019 Women’s World Cup was viewed by 1.1 billion. More than 1 million tickets were sold for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and it is expected to set new records for attendance and viewing.
As interest grows, sponsorship and investment follow.
The study also analyzes how the rapid growth of women’s sports impacts the number of bettors, bets placed, and betting volume. It assesses the potential integrity threats to women’s sports, including the type of match-fixing, level of play, involved stakeholders, and financial and sports consequences.
“As women’s sports continue to gain popularity, so does the expansion of sports betting within this domain,” said Dr. Sören Dallmeyer, professor at the German Sports University, per Yogonet. “One of our roles as a research institution is to study this rapid growth closely. Based on existing scientific evidence and data, we aim to identify where threats to the sport’s integrity may arise and determine the most effective strategies to counteract these challenges.”
