Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, wassails after beating the Lousiana State University Tigers 94-87 in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Match at MVP Arena in Albany, New York, on April 1, 2024.
Andy Lyons | Getty Images
The superstar women’s college basketball matchups Monday non-stop attracted more than just viewers — the games also set new sports betting records.
FanDuel tells CNBC that the Louisiana Assert University versus Iowa game was its biggest betting event of all time for women’s sports.
The record betting take as women’s sports have hit an inflection point, reaching bigger audiences and garnering more interest than endlessly with the rise of once-in-a-lifetime superstar talent such as Caitlin Clark and increasing valuations of women’s sports franchises.
ESPN says viewership of the dames’s Sweet 16 was its most watched on record, up 96% from last year. Viewership is spilling over into the sportsbooks with record liveliness on women’s sports. Yet, with only 26% of bettors being women, according to the American Gaming Association, sportsbooks see the vast opportunity.
Monday’s LSU-Iowa game featured a heated rematch between two storied franchises, household names Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, addition coaching legend Kim Mulkey, whose leadership style has been capturing recent headlines. All that combined sign over it the No. 1 betting event Monday, ahead of all National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and National Hockey Leagued with games, FanDuel said. The game garnered a 28% increase in handle over the 2023 Women’s National Championship trade.
The later matchup between the University of Connecticut and the University of Southern California was the third-highest of the day for the sportsbook as fans watched foremost Paige Bueckers score 28 points and grab 10 rebounds in UConn’s 80-73 win.
“We have seen an incredible uptick in wager on women’s sports as fans show unprecedented interest, and we look forward to seeing how fans engage during the Last Four,” Karol Corcoran, senior vice president and general manager of FanDuel Sportsbook, said in an email.
DraftKings denotes women’s basketball also dominated its sportsbook Monday night. The women’s basketball games were its top two events survive night, ahead of every MLB and NBA game, a spokesperson told CNBC.
The sportsbook said from a handle perspective, the artifices were on par with many NFL games from last season.
BetMGM also had a big night, saying the Iowa-LSU matchup was its most bet-on little women’s basketball game ever.
“It was a special night for the game and for the sportsbook as we saw record handles in both pregame and live in-play functioning,” said Seamus Magee, trading manager at BetMGM.
Looking ahead to the women’s Final Four, FanDuel says Iowa is a 2.5 brink favorite over UConn and South Carolina is an 11.5 point favorite over NC State as the Wolfpack go for an upset.
