Women's Football's Boom Reaches WAFCON — But Have Sportsbooks Kept Up?

The ongoing Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco is the largest edition the tournament has seen, with 16 nations competing in Rabat and Casablanca for a record US$1 million (£787,000) prize pool and a direct route to next year's Women's World Cup. The event's scale renews a persistent question: have sportsbooks grown as quickly as women's football itself?

Revenue Momentum

According to Deloitte projections, global revenue from women's elite sports will pass US$3 billion (£2.2 billion) for the first time this year, a 25 percent increase over 2025 and roughly 340 percent higher than in 2022. Commercial deals—sponsorship, partnerships, and merchandise—account for 45 percent of that income, while matchday revenue is expected to reach US$911 million (£717 million), up more than US$163 million (£128 million) year on year. North America remains the top earner with 54 percent of total revenue, followed by Europe at 14 percent.

"The narrative has shifted in a powerful way," said Deloitte U.S. Chair Lara Abrash, who described women's sports as thriving and marked by real, transformative growth. She added that the discussion now centers on intentionally building a lasting, world-class foundation rather than proving commercial value.

The Betting Gap

Despite that momentum, Sports Business Journal reports that fewer than five percent of women's sporting events are currently available to bet on globally. Caroline Fitzgerald, founder of women's sports consultancy GOALS, called the mismatch obvious: "It's bad business not to be in the business of women's sports."

Research for Stats Perform by YouGov supports that view: bettors of all genders say they want more wagering options on women's sport, and more than 90 percent of regular bettors expect to consume the same amount or more women's sport in the coming year. The audience appears ready; the product supply does not.

Part of the reason is structural. Betting markets rely on dense historical data, form guides, injury records, and granular player statistics—assets men's competitions have accumulated over decades. Women's football has traditionally been tracked less comprehensively, which makes pricing models harder to build and liquidity more difficult to attract. Yet data providers including Stats Perform, Sportradar, and Genius Sports have all expanded their women's football datasets, narrowing that gap.

A Live Test

WAFCON offers an immediate check on whether operators are translating better data into richer products. Nigeria enters the tournament as its most successful side, while hosts Morocco finished runners-up in 2022, and all four semifinalists will secure automatic World Cup qualification. A field this competitive and this consequential is where deeper markets, genuine pricing depth, and in-play coverage should appear first—if sportsbooks intend to match the standard already set for men's AFCON.

The broader commercial picture extends well beyond one tournament. As regulators push operators toward diversified and sustainable growth, women's football increasingly looks less like a niche offering and more like a real acquisition and retention channel. Broadcasters, sponsors, and investors have already made their calculations. With WAFCON underway and the 2027 Women's World Cup on the horizon, the betting industry's answer may no longer stay theoretical.