Major sporting events are not just sporting milestones. They are key events used to onboard new betting customers.
There are a whole host of major global sporting events that catch the public’s imagination: The Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, and the Super Bowl, to name a few. No longer just cultural events, they are major economic drivers. With the integration of mobile sportsbooks and widespread legislative acceptance of sports wagering, viewing has moved from a passive experience to a transactional one. These major sports events can fundamentally impact consumer buying and betting habits.
Expanding the Demographic
When these major events occur, the demographic for those using betting platforms changes. Imagine the world of the soccer bet. During regular seasons, it tends to be the real die-hard football fans who decide to make a wager. Yet in global events, casual observers are pulled in. These may include family members invited to watch games, or those who only tune into big tournaments. The top operators like Bet Way will understand this and adjust introductory offers accordingly to onboard new customers.
Many of these people don’t even dive into the different markets and betting options. Instead, they often prefer the one-off future bet, such as predicting a tournament winner long before the action begins. It could be on a national or favourite team. By tapping into this, sportsbooks can create a strong funnel for the first-time bettor.
The Popularity of In-Play Betting
Once these bettors are into the action, the option of live and in-play betting becomes a possibility. This is when a wager is made as a game plays out in real time. Imagine placing a soccer bet just after the half-time break, with odds that are shifting throughout the game as players score more goals, go off injured, or momentum shifts.
Application programming interfaces feed game data to the operator in real time, who displays odds that change based on game statistics. This facilitates microbetting, in which people place small bets on immediate outcomes. It could be something like a soccer bet on the next goalscorer, or who gets the next set in tennis.
It differs from futures betting in that spectators are no longer making a bet and then putting their device away. This second screen becomes an important part of the game, adding an extra layer of depth to sporting activity.
Live betting can only work with the right infrastructure, of course. It requires a decent smartphone with strong connections, ideally 4G at the least. From the operator’s side, a perfect UX and design are required. Apps must be smooth and responsive, while wagering options must be presented clearly so that bettors can view them and make instant decisions.
Gamification and Social Betting Habits
This second screen addition also has a third facet: Social media. During these cultural events, this becomes the glue that binds people together. Not only do people discuss these games on social networks, but they also share their betting and outcomes. It can be as simple as posting a soccer bet accumulator on a personal account, all the way to well-known celebrities like Drake posting their huge sports bets.
Sports betting platforms have leaned into this by introducing gamification features such as same-game parlays. A parlay bet is a single stake that goes over several selections, often on different games or matches. Yet with a same-game parlay, you can combine different markets from one event into one bet. For example, a soccer wager may include the overall winner, score, and first goalscorer bets.
Even media broadcasts now exemplify this. It is not uncommon for pundits to discuss odds, embedding them and betting data into broadcasts.
Going Beyond the Tournament
Once signed up to bet during major tournaments, many people continue to play long after the event has ended. A survey named the 2026 US World Cup Betting Intentions Report by Optimove Insights showed that around three out of four US bettors who placed a soccer bet on the World Cup were casual participants. Most astonishingly, around 61% of those surveyed planned to keep on making soccer bets after the World Cup ended.
This backs up the theory that isolated wagering is no longer the normal status quo. Even new bettors are using betting as an additional layer, mixing it with the sport itself and social media to enhance the long-term experience. Events are no longer isolated; they are ecosystems where multiple facets from finance to entertainment combine.
Those who are betting for the first time have two options. With a managed bankroll, they can place futures bets long before an event. Yet they can also try out the thrill of an in-game bet. Many operators will have attractive bonuses, so they don’t need a huge outlay to get started when these tournaments do come around.
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