It may have been a miserable Women’s World Cup 2023 for the US Women’s National Team as they crashed out at the round of 16 stage, but sportsbook technology group OpenBet has enjoyed the tournament down under.
The Endeavor-owned firm reported that it offered “its most extensive range of players stats markets” via its SportCast product due to increased demand for betting on the tournament.
Spain were crowned World Champions as they professionally dispatched European champions England in a 1-0 win in the final at the Sydney Stadium, closing a tournament that broke several records.
Displaying the ever-increasing popularity of the women’s game, almost two million people attended games in Australia and New Zealand, with a game average attendance of over 30,000.
This popularity was reflected in OpenBet’s observations and activity during the tournament. The provider, which supplies sportsbook platforms to several US and Canadian operators, explained that it had processed 1.3 million bets before yesterday’s final.
OpenBet’s SportCast allowed operator partners to offer five different player prop-style markets including shots on target, assists, passes, shots, and tackles.
The move forms part of OpenBet’s commitment to increasing the visibility of women’s sports on its platform, further evidenced by the recent inclusion of the Women’s NBA and National Rugby League Women’s Premiership games.
Manos Lagopoulos, VP of Trading Content at OpenBet, said: “Women’s sports betting has seen a huge boost in interest over the past 12 months, with this year’s World Cup tournament the latest driver of activity.
“We are delighted to have offered our Player Props product for bettors worldwide and cater to demand from operators for a much wider range of markets. Attention now turns towards the final, which we anticipate will generate a great volume of engagement as fans worldwide discover who will take home the coveted trophy.”
The US crashed out of the Women’s World Cup in the first knockout round after a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout against Sweden which was decided by goalline technology. It ended Megan Rapinoe and co’s hopes of lifting a third consecutive World Cup title.
Despite this, betting activity is clearly on the up for women’s sports and, as increased visibility and engagement with the tournament has become even more noticeable and so there is scope for further economic benefits.
