Online betting set to spike this Football Friday

The average value of bets placed during last year’s season dropped by 12 percent last year, despite the overall increase in betting volumes – indicating that punters prefer betting as a regular low-risk activity, rather than a high-stakes opportunity

LONDON | AUGUST 08, 2019: U.K. punters are gearing up for a surge in sports betting ahead of the 2019/2020 Premier League season kick off this weekend, according to transaction data released by global financial technology leader FIS.

By analyzing eCommerce transaction data of regulated gaming clients in the U.K. processed by its recently acquired Worldpay merchant business over the last two football seasons, FIS predicts that the opening match on Friday 9 August will see the biggest spike in sports betting activity.

Data from the Worldpay from FIS solution suite has found:

In the hour preceding last year’s opening game*, online betting volumes rose by 72 percent when compared to the previous season
The opening day of 2018’s football season saw a 25 percent increase in online betting compared to the same day in the previous season
The average value of bets placed during last year’s season dropped by 12 percent last year, despite the overall increase in betting volumes – indicating that punters prefer betting as a regular low-risk activity, rather than a high-stakes opportunity
Online betting made up 97 percent of all bets placed during the football season, showing that punters are opting for speed and convenience.

Motie Bring, General Manager for EMEA, Global Enterprise eCommerce, at FIS said:

“Football has always been one of the U.K.’s favourite sports for placing a bet, and this trend continues to grow apace. Our data shows that punters are placing bets more often, although they are spending less on individual bets. This indicates that they are turning to football betting as a fun pastime and another way to enjoy the game, rather than chasing a big win. Betting on a match helps spectators feel more personally invested in the game, and people are more and more willing to place a small bet as a way capturing this feeling.”

“Sports betting is growing across the board, but the big winner is ecommerce – online is still the preferred method for placing a bet on the football anytime, anywhere. The challenge for operators this year will be maintaining an exceptional user experience during times of increased traffic. The biggest gains will go to those who are able to provide a seamless end-to-end experience, from frictionless fund top-ups all the way to speedy payouts.

* Last year’s opening game took place between 20:00 and 21:30 (not including five minutes’ stoppage time) on 10 August.

About the data:

Figures quoted taken from analysis of global eCommerce transaction data for Worldpay from FIS’s regulated gaming clients in the U.K. processed over the last three years. This includes 150 of the biggest names in the gaming industry. The Worldpay from FIS solution suite is part of the FIS Merchant Solutions business, which serves merchants and eCommerce providers around the world. FIS acquired Worldpay on July 31, 2019.

About FIS

FIS is a global leader in technology, solutions and services for merchants, banks and capital markets that helps businesses and communities thrive by advancing commerce and the financial world. For over 50 years, FIS has continued to drive growth for clients around the world by creating tomorrow’s technology, solutions and services to modernize today’s businesses and customer experiences. By connecting merchants, banks and capital markets, we use our scale, apply our deep expertise and data-driven insights, innovate with purpose to solve for our clients’ future, and deliver experiences that are more simple, seamless and secure to advance the way the world pays, banks and invests. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, FIS employs about 55,000 people worldwide dedicated to helping our clients solve for the future. FIS is a Fortune 500® company and is a member of Standard & Poor’s 500® Index.

To learn more, visit www.fisglobal.com. Follow FIS on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@FISGlobal).