70% of UK Punters Have Continued To Bet Throughout Lockdown, Freebets.com Survey Finds

Horse racing was by far the most popular sport to bet on, despite the closure of UK and Irish racecourses; 40% said they bet on Esports and Virtual Sports

Freebets.com, a leading UK betting comparison site, owned and operated by XLMedia today released an informative survey outlining the state of the UK’s online betting market during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The report reveals intriguing insights into the areas that have continued to thrive, with over 70% of British bettors continuing to place bets despite the temporary suspension of almost all major professional sports.

The survey questioned visitors to the freebets.com site between April 6 and April 26, 2020 and found that horse racing was by far the most popular sport to bet on, with 34.5% of respondents saying they were still placing wagers on international racing.

Despite UK and Irish courses being closed as of mid-March, racing carried on in countries including Australia, the US and Sweden.

The survey also showcased the rise in prominence of Esports and virtual sports, as betters embraced these new categories. A significant 40% of players said that they have now betted on these computer-based sporting options.

Stuart Simms, XLMedia PLC Group CEO said, “The results of this survey have been particularly encouraging, illustrating how our customers have continued to enjoy betting on sports at this time. The popularity of Esports and Virtual Sports stand out as the data suggests that these new categories have begun to cement their position as viable betting options.”

Somewhat surprisingly, football also remained an attractive proposition for betting fans as 25% said they were continuing to bet on the beautiful game, even though the only live games were from less popular leagues such as the Belarusian Premier League and Nicaraguan Primera Division.

The full survey results can be found at https://www.freebets.com/freebets-com-survey-online-betting-during-the-covid-19-crisis/.