Women’s betting is growing in the US, with betting activity on the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) increasing by 27% in the last year, according to data published by BetMGM.
The sportsbook operator reported that growth in the WNBA has exceeded betting activity increases witnessed in the men’s MLB and NHL, which were recorded at 18% and 25%, respectively.
Making up the bulk of this growth was betting activity on the Las Vegas Aces, where wagering increased by 39.6%, and the New York Liberty, which generated an increase in handle of 23.2% since last season.
The Liberty and the Aces both lead the Eastern and Western Conferences respectively and could face off in the finals at the end of the season, something that whets the appetite of the trading department at BetMGM.
Seamus Magee, Sports Trader at BetMGM, commented: “The New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces is our dream matchup for the finals and could generate some serious action. The worst outcome is anyone besides the two clear favorites, the Liberty and Aces, winning it all.
“Handle is steadily picking up as the playoffs progress. The expansion of legalized sports betting and the WNBA’s most-watched regular season in over two decades are definitely key factors driving the increase.”
This increase was noted as part of a wider increase in betting interest in women’s sports on the BetMGM platform.
The operator has detailed that the 2023 Women’s FIFA World Cup was the most-bet-on iteration of the tournament on BetMGM. This is despite the USWNT crashing out at the Round of 16 stage of the tournament in a penalty shoot-out against Sweden.
Meanwhile, in collegiate sports, the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament was also of interest to bettors. BetMGM noted that betting activity jumped 30% year-over-year on that tournament, while the number of active bettors increased 22%.
Interest had jumped so much that BetMGM reported that, for the first time, betting activity on the women’s NCAA tournament was at a similar level to an NFL game.
