YouGov reports that 23% of football fans gamble. This officially confirms that more people are betting on football than ever before, with a ‘betting storm’ spreading across the country. But what are the key factors behind the explosive rise in football gambling? 

Why More Football Fans Are Gambling: A Closer Look 

The team of experts from minimumdepositbettingsites.com have analysed the factors behind the rise in football gambling and how they function. From bookies offering odds boosts to ‘refer-a-friend’ promotions, there’s a lot to get into. Let’s take a closer look. 

1.   Access to Mobile Gambling 

Mobile gambling is the number one driving force behind the rise in football gambling. The Gambling Commisionfound that 74% of in-play bettors have used their smartphones to gamble, with this trend first catching fire back in the mid-2010s. Now, in 2024, it’s bigger than ever, with millions of mobile football bets being placed every matchday weekend. After all, it’s easy, convenient, and also adds an extra splash of fun to the social factor, especially when fans are watching games in stadiums and pubs together. When big groups of fans are watching games with their smartphones in-hand, they can compare bets, give each other tips, and more, so it’s all part of the fun. 

2.   Odds Boosts Being Offered by Bookies

Sports betting companies know that fans place more bets when odds boosts are available. This is why the likes of Unibet and BetMGM are regularly pumping out odds boosts for fans to take advantage of. During the EURO 2024 tournament, Sky Bet decided to boost the odds of Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham scoring for England from 1/2 to EVENS, meaning the winnings are the same amount as you bet. This type of boost is too good to turn down, which is why Sky Bet decided to offer the boost in the buildup to the EUROs game between England and Denmark.

The interesting thing about odds boosts is that they’re still a relatively new invention. In a nutshell, it’s when odds for games (or in-game events) are increased, making them more profitable. There’s now even a niche audience of football bettors who only ever place bets when odds have been boosted, as it’s seen as a great profit-making strategy. However, there’s no timeframe or guarantee for when odds will be boosted, so this usually means you don’t place bets as often. 

3.   Big Bonuses and Special Offers

All of the biggest sports betting brands now have big bonuses and special offers available for football fans to get excited about. For example, a common occurrence is for the bookies to have huge ‘Welcome Bonuses’ designed to attract new players, such as “Bet £5 on any Premier League game and receive a £50 bonus bet”. Throughout the season, special offers will also hit betting sites and will usually be centred about the biggest games and tournaments, such as Champions League finals. 

4.   Huge Marketing Campaigns

Since the mid-2010s, sports betting companies have stepped up their advertising efforts, with the National Audit Office estimating that there was a 56% increase in ad spend by gambling operators from 2014 to 2017. Since then, the trend of gambling advertising has gone from strength-to-strength, with countless marketing campaigns being launched every month. Now, you can no longer go on social media, watch TV, or attend a football game in-person without seeing some form of betting advertisement. Even 8 out of the 20 Premier League teams in the 2022/23 Premier League season had a front-of-shirt betting sponsor, which shows the incredible exposure and influence that bookmakers currently have in the football world. 

5.   Referral Bonuses

According to Minimum Deposit Betting Sites, sportsbook referral bonuses are hugely popular at the moment. As the name suggests, the way this works is that a bettor can refer their friend to join the betting site they’re using, the friend creates an account, and both of them get rewarded for it. Usually, this reward will be a cash bonus or a free bet. For example, Unibet currently has a referral program where you receive cash bonuses of £30 for the 1st friend, £40 for the 2nd friend, and £80 for the 3rd friend. Naturally, this leads to a massive influx of referrals, allowing big names like Unibet to boost their player counts. 

6.   Cultural Influence 

Lastly, there’s the ‘cultural influence’. Now, more people than at any point in history are now betting on football, from casual bettors to daily bettors. This has made betting a big part of football culture, which naturally has a huge influence on people. When they see that everyone else is betting, it makes them want to do it, too. This is why it’s believed that, over the coming decades, it will advance to a point where the vast majority of football fans are placing bets every season. 

Final Thoughts

Football and betting are now inextricably linked. The nation’s biggest teams work with gambling sponsors, the leading betting apps have millions of users, and placing bets has become part of the matchday ritual. And even though the Premier League is set to ban front-of-shirt betting sponsors from the start of the 2026/2027 campaign, it’s widely accepted that betting companies will maintain their strong positions in football culture for a long time to come.