London – August 2016 – The Premier League blasted back this weekend with plenty of fixtures to whet fans’ appetites for the 2016-2017 season. Data from Worldpay revealed a mammoth 20% rise in the number of bets placed on opening day compared to last year, with more fans than ever hoping to win big as the world’s most exciting football league returned.*

Following Leicester’s fairy-tale League win last season, bookies actually saw an 8% drop in average bet values compared to 2015’s opening weekend. Recreational customers who traditionally deposit lower amounts were drawn in by the prospect of predicting underdog success.

Punters were staking on average £3.55 less per bet than this time in 2015, revealing the extent to which Leicester’s title win has inspired footie fans to try their luck on even the most unlikely teams.

Karl MacGregor, Vice President Gambling, Global eCommerce, at Worldpay said: