A paper by business-to-business gaming software supplier SOFTSWISS suggests there is a pattern of “shifts” in online gambling customers’ behaviour “around major sporting events”.
“Specifically, there was a 10 percent to 20 percent drop in online casino turnover, coinciding with the [FIFA soccer] World Cup 2022,” said the paper released on Friday, citing the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook team.
It quoted Alexander Kamenetskyi, head of SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, as saying: “This pattern underscores the strategic imperative for iGaming stakeholders to recognise the synergistic relationship between casino ventures and sportsbooks.”
He added: “Combining these options not only enhances casino appeal but also maintains player engagement, especially during sports events.”
The remarks were in the paper titled “Sports Betting Trends 2024” issued by SOFTSWISS on Friday.
It also said another “notable trend” in sports betting was the “consistent growth in bets made from mobile devices”. According to SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, 80 percent of bets in 2023 were placed via mobile, versus 70 percent in 2022 and 68 percent in 2021.
The document also mentioned that over the past three years, the top three sports by bets had held firm in ranking terms, with football (soccer), tennis and basketball maintaining their leadership.
Though it also noted: “eSports has demonstrated a consistent upward trend, progressing from the seventh position in 2021 to the fourth in 2023.”
