The Rise of Women’s Sports Betting: WNBA and NWSL Lead the Boom
— Fueled by stars like Caitlin Clark and Sophia Smith, women’s leagues like the WNBA and NWSL are fast becoming powerhouses in the sports betting world.
The increase in the number of women's athletics has triggered interest in sports betting on women's sports, especially in the WNBA and NWSL. Fuelled by the force of stardom, increased media rights, and business momentum, these leagues are transforming the betting arena.
Betting WNBA Boom
A turning point was in the 2024 season of the WNBA. Leading bookmakers recorded a 108 percent slot year-over-year increase on bets due to the coming of Caitlin Clark in Indiana as her debut games and prop bets markets captured most of the betting action. Clark ranked as the most bet star in men's and women's basketball.
It was also seen in other books on the Wincomparator radar, with certain books reporting an increase of up to 516 percent in the amount bet on opening night games, and futures betting up to 175 percent, especially on championship and MVP futures wagering. On the women's side, NCAA Women's basketball also witnessed a 14x increase in handle year-over-year, and WNBA interest was beginning to grow as well.
As a result, the major operators now expand their scope to include more WNBA futures, game lines, player props, and specials, developing new dimensions of communication with the customers. Others are also becoming more new user-friendly by means of providing exclusive offers, like those found in the list of special no deposit promo codes, which enables bettors to ease into bets, without having to converse financially.
Women's Soccer and NWSL betting
Although betting on women's Soccer, in the case of NWSL, is less mature in comparison with betting in basketball, it is gaining momentum. Increased recent media rights deals, to the tune of about $60 million per season across CBS, ESPN, Amazon, Ion, and NWSL,+ have brought a lot of attention and exposure. The boom in sponsorship (up 98 percent year-over-year in 2024), all-time team valuation sales (e.g., the San Diego Wave sold at $120 million and Angel City FC at $180 million), and astronomical increases in attendance (2 million total fans in 2024) and viewing are preconditioning more interest in betting.
Though exact numbers of betting volume in the NWSL have not yet been published, the fact that the league has been growing and engages more fans means that there is an expanding market.
Why This Growth?
- Star Power and Storytelling: The players, such as Caitlin Clark, Ajja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Sophia Smith, are the ones who have a good story to tell that would make people tune in to watch and place their bets.
- Sponsorship & Investment: The overall revenue in Women's sport is expected to be $2.35 billion in 2025, and a growth of 25% compared to last year (2024), and the growth in sponsorship (12% YoY) is faster in comparison with the men's competitive leagues.
- Commercial Ecosystem: The breadth of broadcast deals and expansion pay-out fees (e.g., WNBA teams willing to lay out $50-125 thousand of dollars; NWSL franchise fee, in Denver, is $110 thousand of dollars) are indicators of investor confidence and commercial vitality in leagues.
The Big Picture
With viewerships in the audience setting, media coverage, and sponsorship investment, plus the star power of the players constantly booming, WNBA is on the front line, being the fastest-growing area in sports betting, not to mention the NWSL, which is picking up the pace. This constellation shows that the betting and women's sports markets can support each other and develop a future that is more inviting and commercially thriving.
