The match winning goal at Lotto Park marked Harry Kane’s fiftieth goal in European competitions. More importantly, it cemented Bayern Munich’s place in the top eight of the new Champions League group format. Vincent Kompany’s side’s win at his Anderlecht alma mater came on 22nd January this year but in a roundabout way it would have won them the tournament at a similar stage last season. The tie was the 125th completed in this year’s competition, excluding qualifying rounds. The 125th match of the 2023/24 incarnation came in June, with Real Madrid’s triumph against Borussia Dortmund in the final.
Why Betting Firms Are This Season’s Champions League Winners
There are still eight teams in contention this time around but the big Champions League winners this season are, arguably, the bookies.
The increase in the number of matches – 64 additional games – provide more betting opportunities, a key driver for gambling revenue. The format’s design, which includes a single league table and a knockout playoff round for teams ranked 9th to 24th, also heightens competitive uncertainty and jeopardy. This could sustain betting interest deeper into the tournament, as more teams remain in contention for longer compared to the previous format, where group-stage elimination was more predictable.
While comprehensive revenue figures for gambling firms post-reformat are not yet public, the structural changes suggest a net positive effect. Anecdotal estimates, however, from betting industry sources suggest individual high-profile Champions League matches can generate between €100 million to €500 million worldwide in wagers globally. With the new format adding 64 matches, the total betting volume could conservatively range from €10 billion to €20 billion for the entire season. Furthermore, spreading games across three days (with Thursdays added to the traditional Tuesday/Wednesday format) extends betting windows and adds some Champions League prestige to nights traditionally reserved for Europa League action.
Endless Football (And Betting Opportunities)
“Constant, dizzying, 24-hour, year-long, endless football” went a sketch on ‘That Mitchell and Webb Look’, where David Mitchell played a frenzied sports pundit hyping up football’s relentless nature. The UK comedy show aired in 2006 and in the intervening 19 years, the sport has become even more interminable. The new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, set for this summer, and the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup in 2026 will also likely have a significant impact on gambling firms’ revenues, driven by increased match volume, global engagement and new betting markets.
The 2022 World Cup, for example, generated an estimated €35-40 billion in global bets, with single matches like the final hitting €500 million. A 60% increase in the volume of matches could push total betting toward €50-60 billion, assuming similar per-game engagement. The expanded nature of both World Cup competitions make picking the eventual champions even more difficult but, like the reformatted Champions League, the main winners will be the bookies.
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