England victory gives operators £20m boost
Home nation qualification for the 2014 football World Cup set to increase top line by around 20-30%, according to the industry
England’s World Cup qualification could see UK-facing online sportsbooks benefit to the tune of around £20m, according to a spokesman at Coral.
Despite Tuesday’s 2-0 victory against Poland hitting bookmakers for around £500,000 on the night, the industry breathed a huge sigh of relief as England’s inclusion in next summer’s World Cup finals was confirmed.
According to Coral, the sports betting division of Gala Coral, the participation of a home nation will see revenues from the World Cup increase by around a fifth as a result.
“England being at the World Cup will generate much greater mass public interest in the event than if they weren’t there,” Simon Clare, Coral director of communications, said.
“Turnover on a World Cup will be in the region of £250m on the high street, and over £100m online and mobile – but if England had failed to qualify that would have seen turnover reduced by circa 20%,” he explained.
Ladbrokes estimated more than £300m will be staked during the tournament, more than the 2010 finals due to an increase in betting opportunities and mobile expansion.
“Certainly England’s involvement benefits turnover significantly so England’s qualification is good news for the industry,” a Ladbrokes spokesperson said.
“We anticipate around £100m in stakes for Ladbrokes alone and England would add about 10% to stakes at a World Cup finals,” he added.
The operator also said it will be sitting down in the coming months to discuss its World Cup marketing campaign with Roy Hodgson’s men set to be a “key focus” of its strategy.
The added revenue brought by England’s participation isn’t limited to fixed-odds operators with spread-betting businesses also bracing themselves for the increase in interest the inclusion of the home nation brings.
“Of course the event is huge in its own right, but the PR and coverage around England takes the tournament to another level,” Warren Murphy, chief exec at Sporting Index, said.
“With first round games scheduled at 5pm, 8pm and 11pm UK time, and England likely to play on a Saturday evening, the interest will escalate as a result,” Murphy added.
The company predicts England’s participation will boost bet numbers by 30% compared to a tournament without the Three Lions’ involvement.