While fan-girls hold the honor of being the most stereotyped, no fan-base can even come close to the fanatic energy of sports fans and seeing the impact that sports have on the economy; we can safely assume that a major part of the global economy belongs to sports alone. Did you know that according to a 2019 report, the sports world rakes in around $200 billion per year from betting and lotteries alone? But some events inspire more anticipation than others and draw in more fans, who lead to a bigger betting pool, which is, at this point, as anticipated an event as the match itself. So out of curiosity, and perhaps to ascertain whether bettors are investing in the right events or not, let’s take a look at the biggest sports events for betting in the whole world.
- FIFA World Cup
Holding the title of being the biggest, most anticipated sports event in the world for a singular sport, the FIFA world cup captivates all. Being the source of much energy throughout the globe, the FIFA world cup drew in 3.572 billion watchers across 64 matches in 2018. According to FIFA themselves, big money was thrown into the betting pool, with $7.2 billion being invested in the final match, bringing the overall accumulation to a grand sum of $136 billion. That’s right, folks, $136 billion from a single event. If you’re looking to invest some big bucks in the event of this magnitude, you better use the bet calculator at BookiesReviews and buckle up because this won’t be an easy wave to coast, especially since once the 2022 Men’s cup comes around, the majority of Americans will be allowed to bet on it legally. So expect a tsunami of fans this time around.
- Cricket World Cup
While not being as well-loved in the USA, cricket is the sweetheart of sports lovers. India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Australia host hundreds of millions of cricket fans just between themselves. Once you consider the rest of the world and the countries whose teams participate in cricket, you have yourself an army to rival the might of the Spartans. And so, it comes as a surprise to absolutely no one that the biggest event in the world of cricket, the Cricket World Cup, drew in 1.6 billion viewers in 2019 alone. Besides the world cup, other events that whip the masses into a frenzy are the ICC Champions Trophy, IPL, and even PSL.
- Super Bowl
If you haven’t heard of this event until now, consider yourself sheltered. No, the Super Bowl has nothing to do with bowls, noodles, soup, or anything of the ilk. It is quite simply the biggest event for football in the world. According to the American Gaming situation, the 2020 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers alone drew $7 billion in bets. The reason for the high sum in bets doesn’t lie in sports alone, though. All bets are on when it comes to who’s going to do what on the halftime show, the national anthem, the coin toss, and other such events that are just part of the Super Bowl and draw in bettors who aren’t even sports fans. Yes, the Super Bowl is that powerful.
- NBA Finals
Basketball being one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, it’s truly no surprise that it draws so much in bets. The thrill, the craze, the risk, the chase, isn’t that all bettors are looking for? And when they find it in one place, why would they even want to stay away? Though the official overall numbers are murky due to most bets being made at illegal offshore books, in Nevada alone, bettors are known to risk $10 million on a single game. If that’s just Nevada, then who knows how humongous the actual amount is?
- The Grand National
“Finally! A sport for the nobles!”
If that’s what comes to your mind once you hear of this horse racing event, then you’re dead wrong. It is reported that the Grand National draws in 500-600 million viewers from across 120 countries, and if you think all these people belong to the upper classes, then you might want to rethink your worldview. This event is a darling of the global public. Although this might not be the most popular sport or sporting event globally, the 2017 Grand National Event pulled in $400 million, making it a goldmine for bettors looking to invest in the future.
- Kentucky Derby
Yes, yet another horse racing event, and quite like the other, this one has earned its place. The Kentucky Derby draws in viewers from all across the globe and lures them into spending their money on bets for the winner. And caught up in a frenzy and pushed on by adrenaline, they do. It is reported that around $250 million were bet on the event in 2019. With the help of online betting, the event just keeps on growing.
So where does that leave bettors? Well, the overall number of viewers who watch these events every year is mind-blowing. And according to surveys, it appears that there are more fans than ever before. We’re not sure if members of society are just getting more aware or if the internet and social media have altered our lives’ perception of entertainment and sports. But whatever it is, something has changed that makes these events as desirable and eye-catching as they need to be for us to even notice them, but rest assured: we’re not complaining.