Earlier this week, BetMGM Sportsbook announced it has seen a 40% increase in betting on women’s sports in the past year.
That activity is fueled by heightened interest from sports bettors in the WNBA, LPGA and WTA. In addition, women’s college basketball — sparked by interest in Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark — has seen a spike in betting activity, as well.
There’s no reason to believe this trend won’t continue as BetMGM and other Kentucky sportsbooks launch later this year.
Pool of women’s sports bettors growing faster than men’s
According to Global Wireless Solutions, just north of 3.2 million women downloaded sports betting apps in the US in 2022, a 45% increase compared to 2021. It marked the third year in a row that the growth rate of women’s sports bettors outpaced the growth rate of men’s sports bettors.
Kentucky will debut mobile sports betting on Sept. 28, and retail sportsbooks can start accepting bets on Sept. 7. BetMGM has yet to announce a partnership that will allow it to launch BetMGM Kentucky. However, that will likely come soon.
More media coverage of women’s sports
The massive increase in media coverage of all sports the past two decades, which has coincided with the emergence of social media networks and streaming sports events, is a contributing factor to the spike in betting on women’s sports.
The LPGA has a popular tour with identifiable athletes like Korda Nelly, Ko Jin-Young and Vu Lilia. The purses for those events have grown in recent years, which makes the stakes much higher.
On the tennis side, that sport has long been a popular one with women who love to watch women compete. Wimbledon Finals for women consistently rates as among the top 10 most-watched sporting events in the summer months. The nature of that game — global, accessible, rich in tradition — is also attractive to sports fans and bettors, men and women alike.
Particular growth in women’s basketball in the US
The WNBA is reaching out to make its sports more digestible by fans of all demographics. It pools high among young female sports fans. According to AAA State of Play, basketball and the WNBA are either the most popular or second-most popular sport among female high school athletes in 20 of the 50 states.
Kentuckians will have many sports to bet on once sportsbooks launch in September, but the WNBA, LPGA and WTA may be among the first choices for women in the state.
