Football continues to lead Russian betting market despite decline

Football betting remains the most popular form of sports wagering in Russia’s illegal gambling industry, despite operators having reported a decline in gambling expenditure in 2015.

According to figures released by Russian gambling operator First Gaming, the amount wagered by punters on football betting in the last 12 months accounted for 40% of the overall market, down from 46% in the previous year.

Basketball placed second in the market with a 18.35% share, while tennis came just behind with 18.19%, with volleyball and ice hockey both on 10.13%

Wager size dropped almost 50% from $30.08 (€27.26) in 2014 to just $15.35 in 2015, while basketball placed first in the average individual sporting wager with $19.39, ahead of football’s $16.81.

However, despite these declines, First Gaming sponsor Rub90 moved to allay any fears over the market, noting that there was a lack of any major sporting event in 2015, while 2014 had the Fifa World Cup national football team tournament as well as the winter Olympic Games.

Related article: Russia pushes ahead with website blocking process