Bet365 reveals strong growth in women’s sports in US and Canada

Bet365 has reported “major growth” throughout the US and Canada in 2024 while women’s sports in the region came to the fore for the online giant.

With bet365 now live in 11 US states plus Ontario, Canada, the operator lifted the lid on its 2024 performance in North America as it looks to close the gap on FanDuel and DraftKings.

In September, the business announced a new Denver, Colorado, headquarters to house 1,000 new staff as part of its plans to ramp up across the pond.

In turn, the trading team revealed that while sports betting growth has continued year on year, attention on women’s sports has skyrocketed.

The firm said women’s college basketball is “extremely popular” now, with figures from the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) indicating a consistent future growth market.

Aron Wattleworth, bet365 trading leader, said: “Action on sports in general is up, and specifically it’s been very encouraging to see the growth in popularity for some women’s sports leagues that have been around for some time but haven’t garnered the attention they deserve.

“Our WNBA action has grown over 67% globally, with some regions in North America showing over 100% growth.

“The league attendance and viewing is way up, and that overall leads to more attention for other women’s sports. Women’s UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship] action has always been decent for the bigger title fights, but we see huge growth in the sport in general and that brings more action to the women’s bouts.”

US sports betting operators were caught up in Caitlin Clark fever this WNBA season, as the popular rookie turned out for the Indiana Fever in her first professional season.

FanDuel became an official partner of the Fever while DraftKings signed a commercial deal as an official sports betting partner of the WNBA.

While the finals saw New York Liberty defeat Minnesota Lynx, Wattleworth said Clark and fellow rookie Angel Reese had helped drive up interest across WNBA betting markets.

Elsewhere, prop bets have taken a “much bigger leap again this past year”, according to Wattleworth, as some individual players are taking more on prop lines than main game lines.

For example, National Basketball Association (NBA) stars such as Steph Curry and Luka Dončić often see more action on total points scored lines compared to game totals.

Similarly, in the National Football League (NFL), anytime touchdown prices are one of bet365’s larger markets, driven by players such as Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley.

Looking back at how bet365 managed in the big four sports over the course of 2024, the Super Bowl going the way of the Kansas City Chiefs was a blow, although MVP winner Lamar Jackson was a positive result given Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey’s performances.

In the NBA, heavy favourites Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in another bettor-friendly result while it was a similar story in the MLB where the New York Yankees defeated the LA Dodgers in the World Series.

A Florida Panthers win in the National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup was a positive result given the heavy backing to Canadian teams, with the franchise lifting their first cup in a seven-game thriller with the Edmonton Oilers.

Wattleworth said: “This past year has seen growth in many aspects of this industry and the sports world around it. Bet365 has seen major growth via new states and other new North American realms, as well as league and betting market expansion.

“Our commitment to innovation, continued efforts to offer best-in-class markets and products and creating the best customer experience exemplify our ‘Never Ordinary’ spirit.”