What age groups make the most successful punters in the increasingly expansive US sports betting markets? Is it the golden oldies with more time on their hands to make better-informed wagers than their younger and busier fellow-punters?
Or is it not, perhaps, the youngest, legally-able-to-bet sports fans with the greatest passion and daring?
It is neither, according to new betting markets data produced by 888 holdings. The international owners of New Jersey sportsbook 888sport found that it is the middle-aged punters who do best.
According to 888, the biggest winners from data captured during the first half of this year were bettors aged between 45 and 55. They’ve come out on top of the sportsbooks with a 16.9% return on money wagered.
Punters aged between 18-24 (+ 0.15) and 35-44 (+0.9%) also came out on top, but only just.
The biggest loser was the group aged 55-64. It was collectively down 25% with the 65 and over pensioners less badly off at minus 12.1%
Odd group out lost 8.5% of its betting markets stake
Oddly, the other group that lost to New Jersey’s bookmakers was the one wedged between the non-loser 18-24 and 35-44 groups. The 25-34 group lost 8.5% of the money they wagered.
Overall, the New Jersey betting houses kept 4.6% of all money wagered. That is just 0.4% lower than the 5% which is accepted in the sportsbook industry as a fair return.
They involved only 76 female sports bettors in the study, so we shouldn’t read too much into their apparent betting prowess.
They did, however, perform exceptionally to earn as much as 19.8% across all age groups. In their case, the younger women won big, but the middle and older aged females lost heavily.
Women aged 35-44 came out on top by a whopping 129.6% and those aged 25-34 at a slightly less 127.1%. Against this, the dozen or so older ladies of 65 and over lost as much as 82.2 and those aged 45-54 a little less at 61.7%
Makes you think, doesn’t it? It could do the same for 888’s marketing people if they wish to increase their profit margins.
To increase margins, they may need to find ways to attract more of the state’s youngest and oldest male betters. They may also have to look at ways of attracting more of the older generations of women wagerers.
