Sports-Bettor Demographics
Understanding the demographics of sports-bettors or “punters” can greatly elevate an affiliate’s ability to develop marketing strategies in this niche. Luckily for marketers hoping to attain a concise understanding of sports-bettors, they are a relatively non-diverse group of online gaming customers. The typical sports-bettor can be described in the following ways:
- male
- white
- from English-speaking nation
- aged 20-65
- attracted to other forms of “skill-wagering” like poker
- fond of having a few social drinks
- some college education
- average to above-average income level by age
- interested in women
- usually single
- avid sports fan
Although from an objective standpoint sports-betting is very difficult to profit from in the long-run, many sports-bettors believe themselves to have an edge against the book. This is attributable to the perceived skill aspect to wagering on sports. Sports-bettors are typically drawn to media like ESPN to gain information in order to make an informed wager.
Bet frequency varies significantly by customer. Some punters place multiple wagers per day while others bet just once a week or less frequently. Estimates of average online sports bet size range from $60-$105.
In the U.S., the National Football League lures the most amount of wagering of any pro sports league followed by pro and college basketball and then Major League Baseball. Australian sports bettors spread action among rugby, Australian rules football, soccer and cricket. In the UK, soccer is the primary sports-betting interest.