Arguably the most anticipated and interesting edition of the World Cup is just around the corner and for the first time ever, it will feature 48 teams, compared to the usual 32 and a staggering 104 matches; an increase of 40 during previous tournaments.
It will also be hosted by three countries for the first time; USA, Canada and Mexico, though the US has the most games.
Despite surging interest across the Atlantic however, Europe is certainly sure to have a significant amount of intrigue; especially from a betting perspective.
With 16 nations represented from Europe; there will be a considerable number who will be among the favourites to win it and this may just drive betting action.
Likely Betting Surges Across Europe
After their impressive Euro 2024 performance, in which they beat England 2-1, Spain will be heavily fancied and, as a result, betting volume in the country is certain to peak. Favourable markets could be “Total Goals”, “First Scorer” and “Winning Margin”, with Spain fans more than likely to be excited about their country’s chances.
In the UK, arguably the most mature betting nation, there will inevitably be huge interest in the betting markets, with England sure to be many people’s choice to win the tournament, though we could see some fascinating patterns emerge. Harry Kane could well be backed heavily to win the Tournament Top Scorer, while English football fans are also big accumulator enthusiasts.
France is another country who will be heavily backed and, perhaps, the favourite of the European representatives. Having lost out narrowly to Argentina last time, they will want to go one better; a view that will be shared among many of their fans. Kylian Mbappe to win top scorer and France to win the tournament is one bet that might be a popular selection among fans throughout the country.
Countries Where Betting May Decline
Italians are still processing the fact that their country will miss a third successive World Cup after Bosnia & Herzogivna beat them in a play-off on penalties in controversial circumstances and, because of this, we could see a complete lack of interest in the betting markets from punters in Italy.
While some action is inevitable from die-hard football fans, some might just want to disregard it altogether and this could lead to some interesting numbers.
Due to restrictions in gambling advertising which prohibits gambling brands from airing promotions between 6am and 9pm, we may also see low betting participation in Germany, despite them having a possible outside chance of making their mark in the tournament. Furthermore, it appears that Germans are quite reserved when it comes to betting as well, which could also have an effect on the numbers.
Similarly, it appears that Belgium is witnessing somewhat of a contracted betting market; contributed by the fact there has been a declining drop in wagering participation over the last couple of years. Furthermore, the legal gambling age in the country has recently been raised from 18 to 21, which could also factor into this.