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Entain credits ‘Wrexham Effect’ and blockbuster docuseries for attracting new and engaged sports fans
Wrexham AFC is making its debut in League Two of the English Football League this weekend, after scoring a promotion from the National League and climbing to Hollywood fame with the docuseries, Welcome to Wrexham. To mark this milestone, Entain, the global sports betting, gaming, and interactive entertainment group, reveals the ‘Wrexham Effect’ in sports betting.
After Hollywood icons Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over Wrexham AFC in November 2020, Entain’s Ladbrokes and Coral brands in the UK recorded an increase of 59% in the number of bets placed during the National League’s 2021/22 season from 2017/18. This far outpaces that of the Championship League, League One and League Two, which saw a 15%, 32% and 24% increase respectively, and demonstrates the powerful impact that the docuseries has had on the popularity of non-league football.
Other non-league clubs have seen the impact too – including Wrexham AFC’s previous rival, Notts County FC, who finished in second place in the 2022/23 National League season and saw an 89% increase in the number of bets on the team from 2021/22.
The ‘Wrexham Effect’ has also taken over on the other side of the world, with Entain Australia recording an increase of 781% on the number of bets placed on Wrexham AFC football games, from 2019/20 to 2022/23. And across the pond in the US, the number of BetMGM bets placed on any Wrexham game has increased a staggering 3818% from the 2020/21 season to the 2022/23 season. Thanks to the celebrity status of the new owners, Wrexham AFC has seen a surge of popularity in the US, with Google Trends data even revealing that the Red Dragons have become one of the most searched for teams, more than the nation’s top soccer league, Major League Soccer (MLS).
It is not just football that has benefited from the boom in sporting docuseries, with the NBA experiencing a surge in popularity following the release of The Last Dance on Netflix in April 2020, which followed the success story of the Chicago Bulls’ dream team:
- Data from Entain’s global brands reveals that the number of bets placed on NBA games increased by 46% from the 2019/20 season to 2020/21.
- In the home of the NBA league, data from BetMGM evidences growing interest in the sport, with a 61% increase in the number of bets from 2021 to 2022.
Likewise, Formula 1 has attracted a cohort of new fans, spearheaded by the popularity of the Drive for Survive series on Netflix. Viewership figures for the docuseries get better every season, with the debut of season five seeing nearly 570,000 viewers over its first week, a 40% jump over 2022’s season four debut:
- Data from Entain’s global brands reveals that the number of bets placed on Formula 1 races increased by 16% in 2022 compared to the year prior, and by 63% compared to 2019, when the first season of Drive for Survive aired.
- Mirroring this growth, data from BetMGM in the US shows a 142% increase in the number of bets placed on Formula 1 in 2022, versus 2021.
Dominic Grounsell, Chief Commercial Officer at Entain, said: “We’ve seen a huge step change in the way fans engage with their favourite sports, and behind-the-scenes access in sporting docuseries has only heightened this further. They highlight the importance of finding new and innovative ways for fans to interact with sports and support their favourite teams, but also attract new fans to the sport – and they want to extend their entertainment by backing a team with a bet.
“At Entain, we’re constantly monitoring how this movement is evolving, listening to our customers, and creating content that resonates with them. Coral’s ‘Taking the Reins’ documentary series is a prime example of this and reinforces our commitment to bringing moments of excitement to fans beyond the track, pitch, or court.”
Entain Australia, in collaboration with Racing Victoria, has also produced a sport docudrama based around the running of the All-Star Mile in Melbourne. The documentary plans to give viewers a behind-the-scenes perspective in the lead-up to the running of one of Australia’s richest races. It will air later on this year.
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Caitlin Clark Boosted Betting on March Madness Women’s Games by 540%; a Bellwether on Her WNBA Impact: Optimove Insights’ Analysis
Results based on more than 19 million bets during the 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament also revealed women’s games had more TV viewers, men’s games received more bets
Optimove Insights, the analytical and research arm of Optimove, has conducted a comprehensive analysis of the 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament, shedding light on the significant impact of standout player Caitlin Clark on betting behavior in women’s games. The report revealed that she boosted betting on March Madness by an average of 540%, a bellwether on her likely impact to the WNBA. The report was released at SBC Summit North America.
Results based on 19 Million+ Bets
Between March 29 and April 9, Optimove Insights analyzed more than 19 million bets placed on the 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament, encompassing both men’s and women’s games. The focus of this analysis was to track the betting trends surrounding games featuring Caitlin Clark, a prominent player in women’s college basketball, and the first pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Women’s Games: The Caitlin Clark Effect
Optimove Insights tracked the betting activity on women’s NCAA games from the Elite Eight stage through to the Championship game. The comparative baseline game, Oregon State vs. South Carolina, set at 100%, received the fewest bets among the games tracked.
The data revealed the impact of Caitlin Clark on betting activity, with games featuring her, witnessing an average 540% increase in bets compared to the baseline. This suggests a significant influence of individual players on the betting landscape, emphasizing the role of star power in driving fan engagement and betting interest.
Men’s Championship Game More Bets, Women’s Championship Game More Eyeballs.
Of note is that the women’s Championship game had an average of 18.7 million TV viewers compared to the men’s game at 14.8 million viewers, yet the men’s game attracted more than 3X the number of bets. This disparity underscores potential differences in viewer engagement versus betting activity between the two tournaments.
Men’s Games
The analysis also encompassed betting behavior in men’s NCAA games. Despite the men’s Championship game showing a 139% increase in bets over the baseline, the percentage increase in betting was notably lower compared to women’s games.
A likely explanation for this difference lies in the higher baseline of individual bettors in men’s games, resulting in lower percentage increases. Nevertheless, men’s games consistently attracted more bets throughout the tournament.
According to Rony Vexelman, VP of Marketing at Optimove, “As the WNBA season is about to tip off on May 14, it is doing so, with a generational player. The substantial boost in overall interest in women’s basketball catalyzed by Caitlin Clark is extraordinary. Her influence on boosting betting, TV viewership and more is already starting to drive a new women’s basketball economy in the trillions.”
The post Caitlin Clark Boosted Betting on March Madness Women’s Games by 540%; a Bellwether on Her WNBA Impact: Optimove Insights’ Analysis appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
7777 gaming, a prominent provider of online casino games, is thrilled to announce its partnership with betPawa, a well-established and trusted online sports betting brand operating across Africa. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for both companies, bringing a diverse selection of 7777 gaming’s top-quality casino games to betPawa’s extensive user base.
Through this partnership, betPawa gains access to 7777 gaming’s full portfolio of 140+ captivating casino games. The integration begins with an exciting lineup of instant win games, including Mayan Gold, Multi Wins, Cash 20x, FunFair 2x, Zeus Quest, Honey of Gold, Golden Scarab, Bucks Detective, Jungle Conquest, and Happy Sheep. These engaging titles promise to enhance betPawa’s gaming offerings, providing its users with even more entertainment options.
Elena Shaterova, Chief Commercial Officer at 7777 gaming stated:, “We are delighted to partner with betPawa and expand our presence in the African market. This collaboration allows us to showcase our diverse range of high-quality casino games to a broader audience, providing them with unparalleled entertainment and gaming experiences.”
Chris Worthington, Head of Casino at betPawa commented, “We are excited to welcome 7777 gaming’s impressive selection of casino games to our platform. Our priority has always been to offer our users the best gaming content, and this partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and value to our customers.”
betPawa, recognized as one of Africa’s premier online sports betting platforms, boasts over 10 million users spanning multiple countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. Renowned for its simplicity, reliability, and security, betPawa is the go-to destination for African bettors seeking a seamless and trustworthy betting experience.
The post 7777 gaming expands African reach with Integration of Casino Games on betPawa appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Calling all treasure hunters, thrill seekers and intrepid explorers with a thirst for the unknown – this month, popular premium casino software provider, Swintt, is inviting you back on an epic journey through the sands of time in its action-packed slot, Egypt King Book Hunt.
Set to a backdrop of a long-forgotten temple where mystic relics abound, Egypt King Book Hunt is the third instalment of the popular SwinttPremium series and this time combines simple gameplay and classic graphics and sound with the studio’s much-loved “Book” free spins feature.
Activated whenever three or more of the iconic ‘Book’ symbols appear anywhere on the reels, players will first be prompted to leaf through the pages of an ancient tome until one icon is chosen at random to be the game’s lucky symbol, after which a series of 10 free spins will get underway.
During these bonus games, any instances of the lucky symbol that complete a payline will expand to fill their entire reel – and what’s more, payouts will be awarded for all winning combos regardless of whether the symbols are adjacent or not. On top of that, further free spins can be won for landing additional book symbols and players can even opt to buy into the feature directly.
With Egypt King Book Hunt being available to play with 5 or 10 fixed paylines, players will be able to customise their experience to the level of variance that they’re most comfortable with and they’ll also have the chance to try and double any winnings they collect in an optional risk feature.
David Mann, Chief Executive Officer at Swintt, said: “The fact that the pyramids have stood for thousands of years is testament to them being a design classic – and we feel our Premium slots fall into much the same category! Combining iconic graphics and sound, intuitive gameplay and popular ‘Book’ free spins, we’re sure Egypt King Book Hunt will be a great addition.”
The post Swintt journeys back through the sands of time in Egypt King Book Hunt appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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