The viewership hasn’t doubled nor has the hype but betting on the World Cup is projected to increase 100 percent since the last tournament in 2010.
A spokesman for Bodog.eu said the company expected to book more than double the amount of wagering handle it took in back in 2010. And he said the vast amount of wagering will probably surpass five percent of his annual business, a huge percentage for a single tournament.
Neither Super Bowl nor March Madness come close to it.
2014 FIFA World Cup: Sportsnet.ca is your home for in-depth coverage of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. TV viewers can watch all 64 games on CBC and Sportsnet from June 12 to July 13. And be sure to watch Connected every night on Sportsnet for all of the latest news and analysis.
“When you consider the popularity of football betting in North America and when you consider the huge amount of baseball bets over the course of a long season, seeing World Cup dominate is a real testament to soccer’s popularity,” said Jack Randall of OddsShark.com.
The tournament kicks off today with host Brazil a huge favorite against Croatia. The Croats will pay 10-1 to win in three-way betting (similar to Canadian sports lottery wagering where there are win-loss-tie options).
Brazil remains the top betting choice in World Cup 2014 future odds at 3-1. They are followed by their South American neighbours from Argentina and Europe’s top two teams, Germany and Spain.
The sport’s popularity in Canada continues to increase with Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact drawing interest in the nation’s biggest cities.
“In general, if it’s on TV, people will bet on it, so sportsbooks are booking a lot more soccer handle in the past few years,” Randall told OddsShark.com earlier Thursday.
And while Canada continues to avoid qualifying for the World Cup (other than a blip in 1986), the United States has moved into the Top 30 in recent FIFA world rankings. They are 100-1 long shots to win the World Cup, but have created anxiety among sportsbooks who have booked a ton of patriotic action on the team to win.
One sportsbook manager said it would be a disaster for the industry if the Americans survive the Group of Death (against heavyweights Portugal and Germany and nemesis Ghana, which has knocked them out of the past two World Cups).
Action resumes Friday with three matches, including a huge Spain versus Netherlands clash to kick off Group B play.