Betting giant Entain declares the Masters the fourth largest annual betting event

The Masters is underway, with Justin Rose carding a 7 under par first round and leaving him three clear of the rest of the pack. And, according to betting group Entain, which owns bookmakers including Coral, Ladbrokes, and SportingBet, it is one of the biggest betting events of the calendar and remains far more popular than LIV Golf. 

The bookmaker owners described the Masters as being the fourth largest sports betting market, after the Grand National, the Super Bowl and the UEFA Champions League Final.

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They went on to say that while the LIV Golf tour has made a lot of headlines, attracted some big names, and garnered a lot of media time, its betting market pales in comparison to the annual Augusta event, which attracts 100 times more wagers. 

The company’s managing director for sports, Greg Ferris, attributed the event’s popularity to a combination of factors, saying:

“The Masters is more than just a golf tournament – it’s a springtime tradition that brings out the fan in all of us. Whether you’re a die-hard golf bettor or someone who only bets once a year, the Masters has a way of capturing imaginations.” 

The Masters is one of the four main annual golfing events. It is the first major tournament of the year and, unlike other events, it is always held at the same venue – Augusta National Golf Club. 

The company pointed to the recurring use of the same course as being one of the reasons for the tournament’s popularity with betting punters. It enables bettors to more closely analyse statistics and use past performances as a guide to likely performance.

The global betting company also gave an insight into different betting markets and how they fare with local bettors, pointing to an obvious patriotic trend. 

Ferris said: “The combination of iconic players, a legendary course and unique betting opportunities makes it the perfect stage for patriotic punting and exciting new markets.”

US bettors tend to prefer betting on US players. This year, due to the short odds of defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Entain has seen a lot of money placed on Bryson DeChambeau. 

In contrast, European betting has concentrated on Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrell Hatton, and Shane Lowry.

Rose was largely unfancied and, despite taking a 3-shot lead after the first round, he is still not the favourite to take his first Green Jersey. Rose is currently 7/1 in the betting, behind Ludvig Aberg at 5/1, and current favourite Scottie Scheffler at 9/4. 

Rose has finished runner-up twice and placed in the top 25 since making his debut in the competition in 2003 but has never won the Green Jacket. Many commentators believed his chance to add the event to his long list of golfing successes had passed. 

Similarly, Rory McIlroy has never won this event, and said before it started that he has “never been in better form”. But despite starting brightly, hitting four under after 14, the Northern Irishman hit double bogeys on the 15th and 17th which saw him end the day on evens. McIlroy is currently 12/1 to pick up the pace and has his name etched on the trophy. 

Entain also pointed to another major difference between European bettors and their US counterparts. While Europeans prefer to bet on outright winners, the US sees a lot more specialist bets. The group has added new markets, such as in-play closest to the pin bets, in response.