The coronavirus continues to change how the world does business, and sports betting is not immune. This is not due to the number of wagers being placed, but more so with the athletes and sports teams involved. This goes for both the pros and college athletics.
A great example is Major League Baseball. The MLB had just started to get back into the swing of things on July 23. However, games have already been canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests from players and managers.
Currently, 17 players from the Florida Marlins have tested positive for coronavirus, causing a delay in the season. MLB teams have said that alternate players would take the field, but how well would that play out over the season, as well as for sports betting?
Sports Betting Can Still Carry On —With Adjustments
The MLS, NHL, NBA, and NFL are also at the center of coronavirus sports controversy. The good news is that games can continue, as well as sports betting, even if alternate players are on the field or on the court.
As the NFL playoffs get closer, teams will begin tweaking player lineups. Resting key players before the playoffs begin, or even during preseason games, means that the “A-Team” may not take the field. This can have a drastic impact on the odds that sportsbooks provide, so regardless of the lineup, it is recommended to do an odds comparison via companies such as Sidelines before placing a wager.
There are other instances when sports marches on, regardless of what happens. Remember the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders’ preseason game in Winnipeg last summer? An 80-yard field didn’t stop teams from playing, or stop bets from being placed.
In fact, the game total for sports betting enthusiasts actually increased by five points, since there was 20 yards less field. In most cases, if the house deems the game viable, sports betting is a go.
Sports Betting House Rules Shift to Accommodate Clients
The sports betting world will not be hampered by the coronavirus, its effects on sports action, or the last minute changes due to positive testing. Sports betting companies are keeping clients happy by making some key shifts when wagers don’t align with the day.
For example, let’s say you wager on the New York Yankees to win with Gerrit Cole starting. Now if everything goes according to plan, Cole starts and Yankees win, wager stands and you collect. Seems normal right?
In the COVID-19 reality, let’s say you place the same bet, but Gerrit Cole doesn’t start for some reason. What happens to your wager? You can get a refund on your ticket.
The future of sports betting during the coronavirus could look like the outlined above scenarios. There may be other workarounds in sports betting, especially when it comes to online bets.
Online Sports Betting is the Future
As Las Vegas sports betting in person declines, as well as other smaller area casinos, sports betting online goes on uninterrupted. Without a doubt, online sports betting is the future during the uncertain times the coronavirus pandemic has ushered in.
Will people stop wagering on sports without casinos and popular US sports teams playing? Absolutely not. In fact, sports bets have flourished as wagers shift from American leagues to Italian League Soccer or Indonesian Super League Soccer.
Who’s getting a piece of that action? Just about everyone these days. This is what makes online sports betting and the internet so powerful. An NFL sports enthusiast may now be running the data on Italian League superstars on AC Milan, placing all bets safely online.
Sports betting has also gone the way of fantasy. Fantasy statistics are being used to fuel online sports bets with generated points randomly drawn. This is simulation at its best when it comes to sports wagers and betting online.
Think of it like virtual horse racing, which has become popular in casinos. The popularity of virtual sports betting has increased due to the impossibility of in-person play, given that the coronavirus swiftly took out an entire team at the beginning of an already delayed season.
Will Sports Betting Ever Return to its Previous State?
This question is important for those who like to place wagers at a brick and mortar casino, and the answer may depend on personal preference, as well as how long this hiatus goes on. For everyone else who has either always placed wagers online, or simply discovered it and found it to be better during coronavirus lockdowns, traditional sports betting may be a thing of the past.
There is still plenty of uncertainty when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. From how people work to sports betting, everything we do has changed seemingly overnight. How have you weathered the changes in worldwide sports? Sound off below.