A new report has shown that bettors were attracted to building single-game parlays that included player props as wagers on the World Cup reached record levels. While these bet types are highly common in American sports, the markets have not traditionally been major attractions for soccer gamblers.
The tournament being hosted in North America may have been a major factor, while it also demonstrates that these markets are increasingly being pushed by sportsbooks.
More than $50 billion was wagered on the tournament, making it the biggest betting event in history. DraftKings noted a 650% increase in wagers compared to the last World Cup in Qatar four years ago.
Kambi reported that the 60 operators in its network accepted more than 100 million wagers during the five-week tournament. The number of bet builders, also known as single-game parlays, doubled compared to the 2022 World Cup, accounting for 35% of all bets placed.
Parlays Increasing in Volume & Risk Level
Not only did the overall number of single-game parlays double, but the number of legs per parlay also increased. Kambi noted that 48% of the wagers contained at least four selections, compared to 30% at the last tournament.
Parlays particularly attract novice bettors as they promise a high return for relatively low stakes. In reality, they usually lose and account for a large proportion of sportsbook revenue. In Maryland, for example, they accounted for 38.5% of betting handle, but 68.5% of revenue.
Kambi did not detail the hold for parlays at the World Cup, but on average in the US last year, sportsbooks’ hold for parlays was 18.8%, compared to 5.7% for single-stake wagers.
As the tournament progressed, so too did the number of parlays. In the group stages, 90% of bettors placed a single-stake wager, which dropped to 57% in the semi-final and 60% in the final.
Safe in the knowledge that parlays give more juice to the house, sportsbooks often promoted the wagers at the World Cup, offering users bonuses if they placed a single-game parlay, but not if they placed a single stake wager.
More sportsbooks also offered single-game parlays in-play. They accounted for just 3% of in-play wagers at the last World Cup, but this rose to 22% this time around.
Player Props Attracting Bettors
Kambi also highlighted that 65% of single-game parlays included at least one player prop market. In soccer, with few goals, betting has not tended to focus on player props, but sportsbooks are increasingly pushing users towards the markets.
Most operators feature their own pre-built single-game parlays, which include markets such as total player shots or total shots on target. Player shots-on-target became the most popular selection in single-game parlays, overtaking the match-winner market. At the Qatar World Cup, it was the sixth-most-popular market.
It was by far the most popular player prop, accounting for 48% of all selections, compared to the next most popular, player to score at 18%.
“This underlines the importance of having a strong player props offering that is fully combinable, giving bettors more relevant ways to personalise their wagers around the players and moments they care about most,” said Kambi in its report.
Gamblers who wagered on player props placed 3.4 times more wagers than other users and also wagered on 2.4 times more matches.
Esoccer Offers Constant Betting Opportunities
Kambi has also expanded its Escoccer betting feed, which allows users to continue wagering even after matches have ended. The company noted spikes in betting activity pre-match, during half-time, and just after the final whistle.
The opportunity to constantly wager during matches has attracted criticism. DraftKings and FanDuel are facing a lawsuit from the Public Health Advocacy Institute alleging that the constant availability of microbets encourages problem gambling.
Kambi promotes its escoccer feed as giving operators the chance to keep “bettors engaged by extending betting sessions during periods of downtime.”
It noted a particular spike in betting activity on esoccer during the extended half-time break during the World Cup final.
Prediction markets also gave users more opportunities to wager. Kalshi saw its trading volume explode during the tournament, surpassing $33 billion. However, it does not appear to have had a significant impact on betting at sportsbooks, as Kambi’s report demonstrates.
