The Popularity of Women's College Basketball is Growing, Are Sportsbooks Keeping Up?

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March Madness is almost here, and for the second year running, the men's and women's championships are both under the brand’s umbrella. Over the past several years, women's collegiate basketball has experienced tremendous growth in popularity; the NCAA Women's Tournament last year saw an 81% increase in viewers from 2021.

As the gambling industry is rapidly expanding, there are more and more exciting games and sports to bet on. And there are plenty of opportunities for online gambling across the states, including excellent bonuses. For example, once you sign up or register for an NJ online casino, you can enjoy the benefits of a welcome bonus, and there are other types of bonuses as well.

What factors influence the coverage of women's college basketball, what efforts should sportsbooks take to expand those markets, and what can sports bettors anticipate for the odds of the forthcoming competition?

Betting Options for Women's College Basketball Are Limited

Fans of women's college basketball are prepared for the drama as conference playoffs are underway and parity is at an all-time high. Can SC win another game? How far will Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes advance? Are there going to be any Cinderella tales in 2023?

However, while viewers anticipate the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, many have also picked up on something else: Betting on these sports is more difficult than you would think. College basketball for women has little odds.

Adam Pullen, associate director of trade at Caesars, says that many individuals believe that since sports betting is legal, you should be able to bet on any sport. That's simply not how it operates. Building markets takes time.

Books will feature futures odds for the NCAA champion and spread for the most popular games during any week of the regular season. Moneyline wagers, totals, or player props are frequently absent. Not even all of the games are included.

Although BetMGM provides certain odds for regular-season games, according to Jason Scott, VP of trade at BetMGM, bettors are more interested in other leagues and sports.

There are a ton of markets available for men's college basketball, including futures odds for the March Madness tournament and conference champions, as well as hundreds of wagers for each regular-season game, including spreads, team props, money lines, totals, parlays, quarter/halftime lines, and more.

Sportsbooks may or may not provide as many alternatives for the ladies throughout the tournament, such as in-game play and player props often found for men's basketball.

What Must Happen For Women's College Basketball Betting Markets To Increase?

The women's league just needs to keep expanding. Markets benefit significantly when games are televised. When sports are shown live on TV, fans tend to be more interested in betting.

According to Pullen, people want to watch what they bet on and bet on what they watch.

According to Bennett, placing these games on the odds screens of bookmakers like Don Best would be one way to increase awareness of women's collegiate basketball. These displays are used by bookmakers and bettors to monitor the market and observe how other data are changing at different sportsbooks. College basketball for women is still not well-known enough to be shown on those screens.