Payment provider to the gambling industry unveils its sports betting sentiment survey, assessing trends in the industry and attitudes towards safer gambling 

• Slow tech and delayed payouts is a crucial factor in sports bettors avoiding certain bookmakers
• 58% of bettors cited security and fraud prevention as the most important factors in choosing a bookmaker 
• This rises to 70% of e-sports bettors and 62% of football bettors

A new survey on sports betting sentiment has revealed that over a quarter (27%) of Britain’s bettors said slow technology, including deposits and withdrawals, is the main reason they would avoid using a particular bookmaker or their app. 

The research, commissioned by payment provider Yaspa, highlights that a seamless and fast user experience is no longer a luxury but a critical factor for customer retention. The findings show this frustration is even more pronounced among younger, active bettors, with 47% of 25-34 year olds and 61% of e-sports bettors citing slow tech as a major deterrent.

Beyond speed, the survey of 2,000 UK adults underscores that security is a paramount concern for consumers. When deciding which bookmaker to use, 58% of bettors and 40% of all Brits cited security and fraud prevention as the most important factors. This demand for trust and safety is a dominant theme among the industry’s most engaged customers, with 62% of football bettors and 70% of e-sports bettors rating security as their top priority, sending a clear message that operators must prioritise robust fraud prevention.

As operators look to address these dual demands for speed and security, the research indicates a strong and growing familiarity with modern payment solutions. Overall, 44% of Britons are familiar with ‘Pay by Bank’, a method that offers fast, direct, and secure account-to-account payments. This awareness rises significantly among active bettors, with 66% of football bettors , 78% of cricket bettors , and 82% of e-sports bettors already familiar with the technology, suggesting a market that is ready to adopt safer and more efficient payment infrastructures.

Key survey findings include:

• Technology is a dealbreaker: Slow technology is a major deterrent for customers. 43% of all bettors, 47% of football bettors, and 61% of e-sports bettors state that slow tech, including payments and payouts, is a primary reason for avoiding a specific bookmaker.
• Security is paramount: Security and fraud prevention are the most important factors for bettors when choosing a bookmaker. This was cited by 62% of football bettors and 70% of e-sports bettors.
• Affordability checks impact behaviour: Only 32% of football bettors and 17% of e-sports bettors would continue to use traditional operators if mandatory affordability checks were introduced, presumably due to adding extra barriers to play with extra, disruptive checks.
• Football and Horse Racing Dominate: Football is the most popular sport to bet on, with 35% of Brits having done so in the last year, followed by horse racing (19%), tennis (9%), and boxing (8%).
• High Bettor Loyalty: The majority of bettors stick to their favourite Spotify ts. 89% of those who bet on football plan to do so again in the next 12 months, and 82% of horse racing bettors intend to do the same.
• The 25-44 Age Group is Key: While the 25-34 demographic is the most active overall , the 35-44 age group also shows strong engagement, with 54% having bet on football and 21% on horse racing.

Over a third (35%) of Brits have placed a bet on football in the last 12 months, making it the most popular sport for betting. Horse racing was the second most popular, with 19% of Brits placing a bet in the last year.

Men are significantly more likely to bet on sports than women. Despite it being the most popular sport for women to bet on, 52% of men bet on football compared to just 18% of women, the survey found. The most active age group for betting is 25-34 year-olds, with 62% having placed a bet on football in the past year.

E-sports has proved to be the fifth most popular sport to bet on in the UK, equal with cricket, golf, and ahead of rugby. Despite its popularity with the younger generation, tennis (21%), horse racing (18%) and boxing (17%) are all more popular with 25-34 year olds. 

Around half of Brits placed a bet in the last 12 months (48%) and this increases with younger generations. The survey revealed most Brits aged 18-44 have placed a bet in the last year. In fact, 45% of 18-24s, and just 26% of 25-34s and 33% of 35-44 year olds said they hadn’t placed a bet in that period, suggesting younger generations are more likely to gamble on sport than not. 

Amie Kadhim, Head of Commercial, Yaspa, said:

“This data clearly shows that football remains the dominant force in the UK sports betting market, but it also reveals a customer base that is increasingly sophisticated and demanding. Today’s bettors expect a seamless, fast, and safe experience, and they are not afraid to abandon operators who fail to provide it.

The findings reveal that nearly half of football bettors are put off by slow payouts, and anecdotally, this is something we and the industry see constantly on review sites and from customer feedback. With the survey also revealing over 60% of bettors prioritising security, when people bet, they want their money and personal details to be safe. And when they win, they want their money quickly.

This is where innovations like Pay by Bank are crucial. By offering instant and secure account-to-account payments, operators can directly address these key customer concerns, building trust and retaining a greater share of the market. 

Open banking technology also allows for additional features to be brought into the payment journey and when blended with machine learning this can be a powerful instrument for both bettors and operators alike. At Yaspa, our Intelligent Payments enable operators to conduct consented checks, such as address and account verification, without adding extra steps for players to navigate, increasing the safety for players and operators without any additional input from the individual.”

Introducing Yaspa:

Yaspa is an award-winning fintech that delivers personal intelligence through instant payments. Founded in 2017 by a former Worldpay CTO, Yaspa blends open banking and AI to provide Intelligent Payments: real-time bank payments (Pay by Bank) combined with verified customer insights, as well as a full suite of payment and account verification services. Yaspa operates across the UK, Europe and US, with offices in London, Leeds and Atlanta, and is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.

Notes to editors:

> Full results from a Censuswide survey on behalf of Yaspa

> Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

> 2,000 nationally representative general respondents (aged 18+) surveyed