Entain reports 65% yearly increase in NFL betting figures from the UK and Ireland

Entain has reported a significant increase in NFL betting activity in the UK and Ireland. According to data from Entain’s Ladbrokes and Coral brands, the 2024/25 season has seen a 65% year-on-year increase in the total number of Brits & Irish betting on the NFL.

The NFL now plays three games in London every season, with a total of nearly 40 games played since 2007. There are promising signs that it is enhancing the sport’s popularity, says Entain, with the 2024/25 NFL season already seeing record numbers of players, stakes, and bets placed on games by UK fans.

This increased engagement has been evident across multiple areas, including a 60% year-on-year increase in the number of bets placed and a 46% rise in total stakes. Total staking was up over 51% YoY, with each game more popular than the previous year.

The London games, held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley Stadium, saw a 51% increase in total staking compared to 2023. These games featured matchups between the New York Jets vs. Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Patriots vs. Jaguars game.

With the increase in NFL fanbase in the UK, betting on player-specific outcomes like anytime touchdown scorers has surged by nearly 90%, with popular players such as Saquon Barkley, Travis Kelce, and Patrick Mahomes topping the list.

Entain’s Managing Director for Sports, Greg Ferris, stated: “During the last twenty years, the NFL has become truly international, with games taking place around the world, helping to grow a global fanbase.

"In the UK and Ireland, fans are not only betting more on the games in London but also on many of the prime-time games being staged in the US. This is evidence of a committed and knowledgeable NFL fanbase in the UK that continues to grow.”

Although the London games are seeing growing interest, the sport’s biggest stars and occasions still draw the most UK stakes despite many of the biggest games happening in the US. The top three most staked games in the UK took place in the US and demonstrate the rise of genuine interest among the UK’s growing knowledgeable fan base. 

The top staking games included the opening weekend game between the Eagles and Packers in Brazil, the NFL opening game with the Kansas City Chiefs playing the Baltimore Ravens, and the first Monday Night Football game of the new NFL season with the 49ers taking on the Jets.