Tennis Betting’s Potential Highlighted, In-Play on the Rise
A new report has highlighted the growth of tennis betting around the world.
Tennis betting is the subject of Entain’s latest trends report. © Constantin, Pixabay
Key Facts:
- Tennis is now the fifth most popular sport to bet on globally, says Entain
- 90% of Entain’s total tennis bets are now placed in-play
- Entain plans develop more in-play options for tennis bettors
- Coral, Ladbrokes and BetMGM are among Entain’s best-known brands
Entain, a gambling giant behind global brands like Coral, BetMGM, Ladbrokes and partypoker, has released its latest trends report for the online gambling industry.
The company said in the report that tennis is now the second most popular sport to bet on in-play in the UK, behind football.
Tennis has moved up to the fifth top sport to bet on globally, with operators perhaps taking note of its growing popularity due to the research.
Entain also said tennis has moved ahead of football for in-play betting in the United States.
Tennis Betting Options Growing
Entain’s study indicated the nature of tennis makes it suitable for betting in play.
With pauses between each point in a match, there are a lot of opportunities for tennis bettors around the world to place their wagers.
Tennis is also prone to quick swings in momentum in matches, which can provide betting opportunities at online sports betting sites.
As more than a million spectators attended last year’s Australian Open, it set a new record for the most people to watch live games at a tennis tournament.
The 2025 Australian Open, which ended last weekend, was perhaps even more popular with the singles titles won by Jannik Sinner of Italy and the American star Madison Keys.
Men’s Tennis More Popular
Despite the popularity of the Australian Open, the US Open has been more common to bet on, according to Entain, perhaps due to better timezones for sports fans.
The French Open, which is played at Roland Garros, ranked above Wimbledon for betting popularity, potentially as matches played on clay take longer than games on grass.
Entain said in its new trend report that 90% of tennis bets placed on its sites are now in-play, while 60% of tennis bets are on men’s matches.
This is perhaps partly explained by the fact that men’s grand slam matches are played over five sets, therefore taking longer to complete than the women’s matches, which are the best of three.
Big names from the men’s game, such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray retiring could also help to swing the gender balance.
Entain said its betting brands will aim to develop more in-play options for tennis bettors.
