The Cheltenham Gold Cup is one of the largest betting days in the horse racing calendar and this year was no exception. There were significant increases in time being spent across betting apps compared to the previous week for both female and male audiences 18+. Betfair (+2,675%) and Betfred (+2,200%) performed particularly strongly for female gamblers, while Betfred (+227%) performed well among male audiences alongside Coral (+207%).

For those using historical iris data, this would have come as no surprise. We have seen that events like the Grand National and the Gold Cup are effective at driving female audiences to betting apps.

Planning ahead, the Grand National typically drives even greater engagement than the headline event at Cheltenham. Last year, bet365 was the front runner with a 155% increase in female app visitors compared to the Gold Cup, while Sky Betting & Gaming (+123%), Paddy Power Betfair (+46%) and Ladbrokes Coral (+20%) also all saw sizable rises in their female users. With so many apps jockeying for position, iris can help brands understand their position in the market so they can tailor their messaging and promotions accordingly, to ensure they’re among the winners at Aintree come April.

Source: Ipsos iris Online Audience Measurement Service, 10- 17 March 2023, All aged 18+ using smartphone or tablet device(s).