Of course, with plenty of choices at your disposal, it is essential to make informed decisions and be aware of the opportunities out there, as BetBrain explains.
The Euro 2024 group stage is now behind us, as is the first knock-out round, and casual football fans or die-hard supporters still have high hopes as we reach the knife-edge of the quarter-finals.
With billions of pounds spent on everything related to this tournament, from tickets to memorabilia to beer to new TVs, the betting industry will also attract a big chunk of that money.
Instant payouts, a sign of trustworthiness
Second only to the World Cup, Euro 2024 is the most marketable event of the sporting calendar, topping even the Summer Olympics. With a global audience of over 5 billion people, the European Championship is creating a frenzy all over the world.
The Brits will spend an estimated £2.75 billion in the UK thanks to the tournament, according to The Guardian, but the expenditure spree will cross Europe’s borders and far beyond.
For example, even as far afield as Thailand, there are expectations that Euro 2024 will generate more than £2 billion for the national economy, with 75% of that going towards the betting sector.
Such an increase can provide great opportunities, but it can also expose some vulnerabilities. For example, during the 2022 World Cup, the usage of unregulated betting sites increased by 300% in the UK alone, according to the Betting and Gaming Council.
Among other insecurities that these kinds of websites present, punters might also miss some great opportunities. One of them, which has become more popular among bettors, is the Instant Payout feature.
Experienced online punters know that getting their money can take hours or even days with some bookmakers. Considering this, having your winnings in your bank account just seconds after you complete the withdrawal is definitely an excellent opportunity and a great improvement.
Besides the fact that bookmakers are sending a clear signal of trustworthiness to their clients, it’s also nice to be able to spoil yourself with your winnings!
Euro 2024 winner: will there be a big surprise?
The Euro 2024 outright winner odds have thrown up few surprises after the group games, with the same old faces among the favourites to lift the trophy: England, France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal.
Less fancied nations such as Slovenia, Slovakia, Albania and even Georgia all acquitted themselves well in the early stages, but unfortunately there looks no likelihood of a shock winner to match Denmark in 1992 and Greece in 2004.
Much-fancied Belgium bit the dust against France, but the Netherlands are still there and are improving with every game, so they will fancy their chances against Turkey, who have emerged as the new dark horses after beating Austria in their first knock-out clash.
England are now joint favourites with Spain, with odds for their success hovering around 7/2, and despite failing to showing any real sparkle so far (with the obvious exception of Jude Bellingham’s dramatic last-gasp overhead kick equaliser against Slovakia), their short price comes virtue of an arguably easier path to the final, with only Switzerland, and then either Netherlands or Turkey standing in their way.
The opposite half of the draw is top-heavy with European giants: Spain are joint favourites with England after overcoming an early scare to beat Georgia 4-1, strongly-fancied hosts Germany (4/1) eased past Denmark 2-0, France (9/2) needed a late own goal to beat Belgium 1-0, while Portugal (7/1) squeaked past plucky Slovenia on penalties.
And this is how we end up with only eight names left in the quarter-finals. The eventual winner is expected to come from the big five: England, France, Germany, Portugal or Spain, but with Spain meeting Germany and France taking on Portugal, at least two of those will not even make the semi-finals.
That leaves fellow quarter-finalists Netherlands (7/1), Switzerland (16/1) and Turkey (33/1) with plenty to play for, and they will be keen to show they are not there just to make the numbers up.
So, who’s going to win it? It's hard to say, but you can get inspiration from the plethora of tipsters out there.
Whoever you think will emerge triumphant, and however you decide to bet, it is important to remember that you should choose to bet on credible websites, and the instant payout feature should be a great sign of trustworthiness.