Search the website
EN

Live Betting, or In-Play Betting Drives Higher Player Spending and Garners More Betting Budget 

Read the details of Optimove Insights’s Analysis of 3.8 Million Players in 5 Countries

Read Time 4 minutes
Posted in

Up your mobile marketing game with this guide

Why it Matters:

The data highlights the increasing impact of live betting on player engagement and sportsbook revenues. Live betting consistently outpaces pre-match betting in terms of both volume and average player spend across multiple markets. 

For operators, targeted, timely, and personalized messaging to live bettors presents an opportunity to enhance player lifetime value and engagement. With over half of total bet amounts being placed live in most markets, real-time, dynamic betting experiences continue to resonate with players. 

The Big Picture: 
  • Live betting, also known as “in-play betting,” continues to play a significant role in the iGaming industry. According to a recent analysis by Optimove Insights, the research arm of Optimove, live betting accounts for more than half of all bets placed in several major markets. The study, which examined data from 3,794,500 sportsbook bettors across the United States, United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, and Spain, found that 54% of all bets were placed live, with Greece leading at 70%. 

    Live Bettors Spend More Than Pre-Match Bettors 
  • The analysis also showed that in each country analyzed, the average monthly bet amount per player was higher for live betting compared to pre-match betting. In the United States, for example, live bettors spent an average of $1,583.90 per month, compared to $846.20 for pre-match bettors. 

Download Now: All you need to know about mobile marketing

Detailed Findings: 

Live Betting as a Percentage of Total Bets 

Greece: 70% 
Italy: 57% 
Spain: 55% 
United States: 52% 
United Kingdom: 34% 

Across all five countries analyzed, an average of 54% of monthly bet amounts were placed live. 
 

Average Monthly Bet Amount per Player 

United States: 

Live Bet: $1,583.90 

Pre-Match Bet: $846.20 


Greece: 

Live Bet: $1,063.90 

Pre-Match Bet: $416.00 

Italy: 

Live Bet: $690.40 

Pre-Match Bet: $147.60 

Spain: 

Live Bet: $932.40 

Pre-Match Bet: $479.70 

United Kingdom: 

Live Bet: $234.40 

Pre-Match Bet: $189.80 

About Optimove Insights 

Optimove Insights is the analytical and research arm of Optimove, dedicated to providing valuable industry insights and data-driven research to empower B2C businesses. 

To read the press release on these results, go here.

For more insights on how to leverage this trend, contact us.

Published on
Posted in

Oren Elias

Oren is a Marketing Research Analyst on the Professional Services team at Optimove. In this role, Oren focuses on extracting actionable marketing insights by researching and analyzing customer data for retail and gaming clients. Additionally, Oren is pursuing an industrial engineering and management degree at Shenkar College.

Get new blogs directly in your inbox

Related Blogs

Get to Know Your Customer’s Day: Building Meaningful Connections Through Data and Insight

Every January, businesses around the globe celebrate Get to Know Your Customer’s Day, a reminder of the core principle driving all successful marketing: knowing your customers is essential to creating meaningful engagement and lasting loyalty.  Why it Matters: For Optimove, this day isn’t just about reflection—it’s a rallying cry to embrace customer-led marketing and leverage … Continued

16 January 2025   |   Rony Vexelman
Super Bowl: Twice as Many Bettors, Half the Wagers—The Playbook for Sportsbooks to Avert Losses 

Why it Matters: The Super Bowl will bring a wave of new and casual bettors. For sportsbook operators, it is a double-edged sword, first creating a unique opportunity to boost engagement and second providing bait for operators to waste marketing budget and effort on new players who are one-time players. By understanding betting behavior, sportsbook … Continued

28 January 2025   |   Oren Elias
What is OptiLive? 14 Frequently Asked Questions

Why it Matters: OptiLive is a game-changer for scaling CRM-powered live sports marketing and creating memorable experiences that drive results. Before operators start using OptiLive, it’s essential to understand its potential to transform player interaction and engagement in real-time. Key Takeaways: Below are the 14 FAQs about OptiLive: FAQ #1 – What is OptiLive? OptiLive … Continued

29 January 2025   |   Edward Aaron-Obelley

Get a personalized tour of Optimove

Let us show you how to go from tens to hundreds of segments