Bookmakers unsure about FIFA's 48-team World Cup plan
2017-01-18 15:00:40At present, the expanded 48-team tournament will see an opening stage of 16 groups of three teams, with the top two teams progressing to an enlarged 32-team knockout round, adding an additional round of ‘knockouts’ to the existing World Cup format.
Stating his case for expansion, Infantino detailed that a 50% enlarged World Cup would generate new audiences and expected higher revenues for FIFA members. At a game level, Infantino and expansion supporters detailed that the ‘extra round of knockouts’ would generate ‘more exciting football’ for spectators.
Nevertheless, critics have pointed that Infantino’s expansion will simply ‘water down’ the level of competition for World Cup 2026. Furthermore, there are concerns that spectators may lose interest in a low-quality World Cup.
At an early stage of assessment, Alan Alger, Betway’s Head of Communications noted caution when discussing an expanded format: “It’s hard to know which innovations and developments in the betting industry will be in place by 2026, so it’s difficult to make an accurate prediction about how the tournament will play out.”
The additional round of knockout stages may look attractive to bookmakers, however, Alger notes the importance of tournament quality for punter engagement.
“The extra knockout matches from the round of 32 onwards will certainly produce a good tournament in terms of competitive betting, with four games a day likely to increase multiples. However, the increase in the number of teams qualifying for the tournament is undoubtedly going to lead to match-ups in the group stage that not many people are going to be interested in, and the betting may mirror that.”
From a trading and market perspective, Unibet’s Head of Sportsbook, Anthony Cousins, believes that a peculiar format with smaller teams in stature may well play to a bookmaker’s advantage.
“Of course, there will be lesser interest in some of the “minnow” matches,” he said. “However, these teams usually play international friendlies in the pre-tournament build up where many other matches also take place and cannibalise turnover, we would much rather see an important standalone match where the outcome means everything.”
Cousins further added that critics of the 48-team format may have been too quick to dismiss teams as low-quality minnows: “We also shouldn’t presume that the teams will be minnows – the format means that teams such as England are far more likely to qualify and based on current FIFA rankings would include teams such as South Korea, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, Greece and Australia – teams with big tournament pedigrees.
“Ultimately in international football, the “lesser” teams have become more competitive and the top teams less dominant which for bookmakers and football bettors makes the 48 team World Cup great news… just not so much for the football purist and non-bettors where the tournament is likely to drag on.”
Top Casinos
Best Welcome Bonus
-
Pots of LuckEnjoy a fine 100% Welcome Bonus up to £100 plus 20 Free Spins at Pots of Luck, today!!!#Ad New Players Only. Wager from real balance first. 50X wager the bonus. Contribution varies per game. selected games only. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid 30 Days from receipt/ free spins valid for 7 days from issue. Max conversion: 3x the bonus amount or free spins: £20. Excluded Skrill deposits. Withdrawal requests voids all active pending bonuses. Full T&C's Apply apply. 18+. BeGambleAware.org.Read ReviewClaim Bonus
-
UnibetDeposit with £10 and get £40 with Unibet!#Ad 18+. BeGambleAware.org. New Customers Only. Minimum deposit £10. 50x wagering requirement apply. Bonus will expire 30 days after opt-in. Further T&C's apply.Read ReviewClaim Bonus
-
PlayMagicalEnjoy a fine 100% Welcome Bonus up to £200 with PlayMagical!#Ad New Players Only. Wagering occurs from real balance first. 50X wagering the bonus. Contribution may vary per game. Available on selected games only. The wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid 30 Days from receipt. Max conversion: 3 times the bonus amount. Withdrawal requests voids all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill deposits. Full Terms apply. 18+. BeGambleAware.org.Read ReviewClaim Bonus
-
CasinoLuckCasinoLuck welcomes you with a superb 100% Welcome Bonus up to £50 and 50 Spins on the Starburst slot!!#Ad Terms & conditions apply. New players only. 18+. Min Deposit £20. Wagering requirement apply 35x. Offer valid for 72h. BeGambleAware.org.Read ReviewClaim Bonus
-
Vegas ParadiseGrab an excellent 50% Welcome Bonus up to £100 plus 25 Free Spins at Vegas Paradise!#Ad New Players Only. UK players only. Wager from real balance first. 50X wager the bonus. Contribution varies per game. selected games only. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid 30 days / Free spins valid 7 days from receipt. Max conversion: 3x the bonus amount or from free spins: £20. Min Deposit £10. Withdrawal requests voids all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill deposits. Full Terms Apply. BeGambleAware.org.Read ReviewClaim Bonus