Bookies Hint At World Cup Effect Ahead Of New Premier League Season

UK bookmakers are quietly confident that the World Cup will have a positive impact on the new Premier League campaign. Operators have been busy compiling a range of outright odds for the new season to stir up punter interest, and things will look very different this season.

Although it has been 33 days since the World Cup Final, which saw Spain beat Argentina, anticipation for the Premier League’s return has reached fever point. And the bookies are hoping to capitalise on a post-World Cup glow.

World Cup ripple effect

The value of the World Cup to UK operators shouldn’t be negated. Earlier this month, Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain delivered its first-half (H1) financial results, and its impressive revenue growth was driven by the World Cup.

Net gaming revenue (NGR) for its UK and Ireland (UK&I) operations climbed by 8%, while group NGR rose by 5%, which defied industry expectations. In relation to the World Cup, Entain revealed strong user engagement overall, as the number of first-time depositors doubled compared to the 2022 edition of the tournament.

And it seems that the bookies are optimistic the World Cup can do wonders for Premier League betting activity. This was underlined by Betway’s PR Manager Lewis Knowles, who told SBC News:

“Given the overall success and length of this summer’s World Cup, we’re expecting a positive impact on business on the Premier League.

“The World Cup is a huge betting event, but Premier League football is on another level altogether, and it will be interesting to see how this season’s opening weekend compares to last year, but we’re expecting a significant increase off the back of the World Cup for sure.”

Healthy appetite for player props

Whether it was predicting the number of shots taken or tackles committed, the World Cup sparked a strong interest in player prop markets. More pertinently, recent figures indicated that wagers placed on goalscorer lines quadrupled compared to four years ago.

While prop betting volume was strong during the World Cup, bookies have provided a more comprehensive offering of domestic props in recent years. When asked whether props are becoming more popular among Premier League bettors, Per Carlander, who works as BetMGM’s Commercial Sports Director, gave an unequivocal answer.

He said:

“Absolutely. This shift has been accelerating for several seasons, with the recent World Cup acting as a major catalyst. Player props and bet builders were central to the tournament’s record-breaking turnover, and that momentum is expected to translate directly into domestic engagement.

“Player props have grown double digits the last couple of years and we expect even higher growth this year thanks to the World Cup hype around star players.”

A much-needed uplift

More generally speaking, greater betting volumes are just what operators need at this time. In an uncertain economic climate, bookies have been forced to cut back on their marketing spend due to the steep tax rises enforced.

In April, remote gaming duty (RGD) paid on online casino bets almost doubled from 21% to 40% of gross gambling yield (GGY). Whereas in April 2027, duty paid on digital sports bets will climb from 15% to 25%, with horseracing exempt.

The big kick-off

The talking is nearly over as defending champions Arsenal host Coventry City this evening at the Emirates (8pm). While fans have waited patiently for the return of domestic football, it will be fascinating to see whether the World Cup betting momentum continues.