Caitlin Clark can't stop setting March Madness betting records at sportsbooks

It was an historic 2024 women’s NCAA tournament, capped by Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team finishing off a perfect season by defeating Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes, 87-75. That game drew a record 18.7 million viewers and was the most-bet women’s sporting event of all time at several sportsbooks.

Anecdotally, it appeared that more bettors were interested in Clark, and BetMGM released some numbers on Wednesday to back up that observation. Clark was the most wagered-on player in March Madness — among the men’s and women’s tournaments.

“The 2024 NCAA women’s championship broke BetMGM’s record for the most bet women’s sporting event of all time, capping off a special tournament for the game and for the sportsbook,” Seamus Magee, BetMGM trading manager, said in an email. “Caitlin Clark and Iowa generated an unbelievable amount of interest which translated into this being the most bet NCAA women’s tournament in BetMGM history.”

Clark had 80 percent more wagers on her individual player props than Purdue’s Zach Edey (the second-most wagered on player) and 380 percent more than NC State’s DJ Burns Jr.

BetMGM also reported that there was a 29 percent increase year-over-year in women wagering on the women’s NCAA tournament, showing the growth of the game that Clark has engendered — which is backed up in the viewership numbers.

A truly historic tournament for Clark and women’s basketball. It will be fascinating to see if that betting interest continues to Clark’s WNBA career, beginning in a few months.