Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after defeating the Lousiana State University Tigers 94-87 in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament at MVP Arena from Albany, New York, on April 1, 2024.
Andy Lyons | Getty Images
Monday night’s superstar women’s college basketball games attracted more than just viewers: The games also set new sports betting records.
FanDuel told CNBC that the Louisiana State University vs. Iowa game was its biggest betting event ever for women’s sports.
The record bet comes as women’s sports have reached an inflection point, reaching a wider audience and generating more interest than ever with the rise of exceptional superstars such as Caitlin Clark and the growing valuation of women’s sports franchises. .
ESPN said audience of the women’s Sweet 16 was the most watched on record, up 96% from last year. The audience is spilling over into sports betting with record activity in women’s sports. Yet with only 26% of bettors being women, according to the American Gaming Association, sports betting sees a huge opportunity.
Monday’s LSU-Iowa game featured a heated rematch between two storied franchises, well-known names Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, as well as coaching legend Kim Mulkey, whose leadership style has made headlines in recent years. last time. All of that combined made it the No. 1 betting event on Monday, ahead of all National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and National Hockey League games, FanDuel said. The game saw a 28% increase in mastery compared to the 2023 Women’s National Championship game.
The subsequent game between the University of Connecticut and the University of Southern California was the third highest of the day for sports betting as fans watched star Paige Bueckers score 28 points and grab 10 rebounds in the UConn’s 80-73 victory.
“We’ve seen an incredible increase in betting on women’s sports as fans show unprecedented interest, and we can’t wait to see how fans engage during the Final Four,” said Karol Corcoran, senior vice president and general manager of FanDuel Sportsbook, in an email. .
DraftKings says women’s basketball also dominated its sportsbooks Monday night. Women’s basketball games were its two main events last night, before all MLB and NBA games, a spokesperson told CNBC.
The sportsbook said that, from a handle perspective, the games were comparable to many NFL games from last season.
PariMGM also had a big night, claiming the Iowa-LSU game was the most bet on women’s basketball game of all time.
“It was a special night for the game and for sports betting as we saw record highs pregame and live,” said Seamus Magee, chief commercial officer at BetMGM.
Looking ahead to the women’s Final Four, FanDuel says Iowa is a 2.5-point favorite over UConn and South Carolina is an 11.5-point favorite over NC State as the Wolfpack look for the upset.
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