Having a solid pre-match offering with a wide array of markets is essential to driving player engagement throughout the Qatar World Cup, according to the latest betting focus report by BtoBet.

In the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 report, BtoBet highlighted that pre-match turnover during high profile events, such as the World Cup, tends to be larger when compared to live betting.

The report explained that while there may be some similarities between live and pre-match, bookmakers must ensure that live betting “should reflect a more dynamic and time-related bet offer and should not omit focused markets that cover the period beyond the traditional 90 minute match, such as bets related to extra time and penalties.”

New opportunities

BtoBet predicts that the upcoming tournament will be “highly lucrative for bookmakers due to its unique format and timing”. 

Four matches will be played each day during the group stages, before winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16 – with the final taking place on 18 December.

With the tournament pushed back towards the Christmas months, BtoBet expects that this creates a “unique opportunity” for bookmakers to acquire players and retain in the post-tournament period.

The report reads: “The back-to-back action will also characterise the post-tournament phase, with  domestic leagues resuming after only a handful of days after the Final takes place.

“All of this without taking heed of other popular sports events, such as the ATP Finals in Turin, and the curtain closer of the Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi, in the immediate days preceding the actual kick-off to the World Cup. 

“Not to mention other sports fans’ favourite events, such as the Davis Cup Finals which will take place in Spain during the arch of the first week of the World Cup, from the 21st  until the 27th November.

“What this does is create a unique opportunity for bookmakers to acquire players, and retain their engagement post-tournament by providing a content offering and betting products which are  scalable beyond the World Cup. 

“Thus, by providing their players with a similar product and offering post-tournament bookmakers will seek to maintain  the same player behaviour and pattern even beyond the 28  day tournament window during which the World Cup will take  place.”

Read the full report HERE