Sportsbook Profitability Holds During International Breaks as Ivy Bet Targets New Bettors

International breaks generated stronger returns than anticipated for sportsbooks. Ivy Bet data from the September and October windows shows these fixtures performed within the range of typical club weekends and sometimes exceeded quieter domestic periods on profitability.

Liam Normanton of Ivy Bet detailed the trends in an interview with SBC News. Premier League fixtures remain the dominant driver of activity. International matches nonetheless contributed a meaningful slice of betting turnover with average stakes in the same ballpark, if a touch more modest.

International Fixtures Deliver Unexpected Margin Strength

A dip in betting was widely expected during the breaks, but break weekends sat comfortably within the range of normal club weekends and sometimes ahead of the quieter ones.

The surprise lay in margins. Break weekends compared very well against club weekends on profitability, a result that had not been predicted. Market mix shifted toward simpler products. Customers favoured match result and goals markets over complex propositions such as correct scores, half-time/full-time or goalscorer props.

Accumulators concentrated on established big teams. Enhanced match-result prices also gained traction. Raw volume stayed lighter than a full Premier League weekend, confirming that international breaks cannot match domestic peaks in handle. This volume gap remains a limitation for operators seeking scale rather than margin efficiency.

Strategies for the November Window

The September and October breaks reached a distinct audience. A large share of participants were not betting on Premier League matches at all. A good proportion were new to Ivy Bet this season.

These international bettors ranked among the most active customers, returning on more separate days than typical football users. The pattern is encouraging for retention, though Normanton cautioned it is an early read.

International and domestic football complement rather than compete. Operators that treat the calendar as one continuous season, maintaining strong pricing and presentation through the breaks, stand to widen their customer base. With November fixtures approaching, clear navigation of scattered matches, simplified core markets and deliberate onboarding of new users will determine whether acquisition converts into sustained engagement once domestic leagues resume.