William Hill and BetVictor, two of the biggest bookmakers in Britain’s huge online wagering market, expect a heavy hit to company coffers on Sunday night – should England’s Euro 2024 campaign prove victorious.
The Three Lions started this year’s European Championship in disappointing form in the eyes of many fans, with group stage performances widely seen as lacklustre in comparison to the 2020 Euro and 2022 World Cup campaigns.
These early stages saw England fans put little faith in their team on bookmaker trading platforms. Entain, the operator of high-street giants Ladbrokes and Coral, revealed last month that only 20% of UK bets were placed on England despite the team winning its group.
England’s progression through the knockout stages appears to have reinvigorated supporters, however, with a series of dramatic last minute victories against Slovakia, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Sam Boswell, a spokesperson for BetVictor, said: “England to lift any trophy is always a bad result for bookies but this year we are facing a much larger liability if Harry Kane and Co can go one step further than in the last Euros.
“At times it has looked like England were heading home early but somehow, we have just one game to go – and 58 years of hurt could finally come to an end…”
888 Holdings’ sportsbook brand William Hill, meanwhile, projects that its losses could stand in the tens of millions if England clinches victory against Spain – who have displayed a phenomenal performance throughout the tournament – on Sunday night.
Hills explains that England has been heavily backed on its platform. England were pre-tournament favourites of 4/1 with Hills, along with many other bookmakers, and the firm has been offering top price guaranteed throughout the competition.
With England seemingly gaining more and more support in a betting sense over the past few weeks, should the team win in two days time it could spell a heavy night of payouts for Britain’s bookies.
William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps commented: “As we have been Top Price Guarantee for the duration of the tournament and before it started, an England win would cost us deep into seven figures.
“Though it would be great for football to finally come home, it looks set to cost the UK betting industry well into the tens of millions of pounds. We’re expecting to see historically high turnover on Sunday, and with a lot of that money set to rest on the Three Lions’ shoulders, it will be very expensive.
“Most money around the final has been on England to win at 5/2, although it is expected that Lamine Yamal – who is now favourite for player of the tournament – will cause issues against either a not fully fit Luke Shaw or an out-of-position Kieran Trippier, so he has been popular in scorer markets.”
It’s very easy for England fans and the country’s media to get ahead of themselves, however. Spain are still favourites to win the game – priced at 8/11 by Hills against 11/10 for England – and the team’s strong showing throughout the month-long event shows they are a formidable force on the pitch.
