The United Kingdom is well-known for their passion for sports. Plenty of the most popular sports today originated in England in some way or another, and many Englishmen are quite proud of their sports heritage. It is, therefore, not surprising to learn that betting on sports is quite a popular pastime in the United Kingdom. In this article, we’d like to examine which sports are the most popular to wager on in the country.
There can be no denying that football deserves the number one spot. It is not only the most popular sport in England, but in all of the United Kingdom, and more importantly, in all of the world. Currently, there are over 3 billion people that claim to watch football on a regular or semi-regular basis.
It, therefore, shouldn’t surprise anyone to find out that placing a bet on football is something most of these fans have done. In England alone, millions of pounds go into football betting annually. If we factor in the rest of the UK, that amount can easily reach billions.
As the United Kingdom’s national sport, cricket holds a special place in the hearts of most of the country’s residents. It was first created in the 1300s in North-western England, meaning that the British have been playing cricket for seven centuries.
Today, cricket is the third most popular sport worldwide. Over 2 billion fans say that they watch cricket regularly, and many of them enjoy placing a bet or two. While not as big as football, even in England, cricket remains one of the country’s favorite sports.
The United Kingdom has produced quite a lot of top tier boxers through the years. Even the current heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury is an Irish-British citizen. Boxing is the most popular combat sport in England, with MMA being close behind. However, the history that the British have with boxing elevates it to a whole other level.
Of course, betting on the sport is incredibly popular. Whether you are wagering in land-based bookies or online sportsbooks, if you do so in the UK you are contributing to a vast betting industry that is built around boxing. There is no doubt that it will remain a popular sport for years to come.
Horse Racing
Horse racing has been around in human history since the ancient world. However, the rules, standards, and practices notable in horse racing today, for the most part, all come from Victorian England. Once the Victorians rediscovered the sport, they codified it into what we know today.
It is of little surprise to say that many of the most popular and most prestigious horse racing events in the world are held in England. The Royal Ascot is probably the most notable one, but there are plenty of others, including Cheltenham, The Epsom Derby, and the Grand National at Aintree.
Golf
Golf’s history is a bit murky, but most historians agree that it comes from the Scottish Highlands. The Scottish have a very big passion for the sport, which has also taken over the rest of the United Kingdom. The best part is that golf is a year-round sport, making it so that punters can wager on it at any point.
