When Coronavirus first hit news around the world, no one thought it would soon lead to sports cancellations everywhere. Now it’s a reality and sports fans are experiencing a drought whose end is unknown.
Many sports organizations will weather the pandemic with limited financial impact. However, bookmakers are hurting immensely now that they have nearly no markets to offer their customers.
To expound more, below is an outlook of major betting markets and how they’ve been affected by Coronavirus.
Football
Football organizations initially responded to COVID-19 by playing games without fans. Then the threat increased and Serie A, Japan’s J. League and UEFA suspended their tournaments entirely.
La Liga, the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue One soon followed suit. Women’s Super League, the Major League Soccer and most other football leagues around the world cancelled the games shortly afterwards.
With football games postponed in almost all continents, bookmakers went into panic mode. The beautiful game is one of the primary income sources for many betting companies.
But with all major leagues cancelled, these are the only football games you can bet on:
- The Belarus Premier League
- The Australian A-League
- Second-tier football leagues in Mexico
There are a few more football leagues you can bet on presently. And if you claim a 22bet promo code, you could predict some of these games using a free bet. Of course, it’s not just football games you can wager. The bookie is also offering markets for some of the following sports…
Basketball
The National Basketball League was the first US league to suspend games as a response to Coronavirus. It was a drastic measure done after one of its players tested positive for the virus but the right initiative, nonetheless.
Initially, the NBA planned to play games sans fans. But after further considerations, it suspended games immediately. It didn’t take long for people to realize why the measure was essential.
At least five NBA players have tested positive for Coronavirus since the league suspended games. So, had it delayed, more players, club officials and fans would have been affected.
Since the NBA’s suspension, all other basketball tournaments in the US have been cancelled. That includes the G-League and NCAA college games. Beyond the US, all European, Asian and African leagues have also gone on an indefinite hiatus.
Motorsports
Two of the world’s biggest motorsports leagues, Formula One and NASCAR, are on a hiatus. Formula One suspended races immediately Coronavirus became a huge threat in Europe.
NASCAR took a while to cancel its races. In fact, it originally planned to organize races without fans. But then it suspended its calendar and introduced a new alternative: its top drivers competing in virtual NASCAR games.
The virtual games will use race simulation devices and will be broadcast live on Fox Sports. Surprisingly, some bookmakers might soon allow you to bet on the virtual tournaments. After all, they are the closest things to motorsports presently.
Tennis
Apart from Russia, nearly all other countries have suspended tennis tournaments. That means you can’t bet on ATP tours or national competitions for the next several weeks. In fact, it could take longer before some of these tournaments resume.
In the meanwhile, you can check out what tennis markets your favourite bookmaker is providing. With many of them, you’ll find exhibition matches from Russia. However, there are a few Masters games from the region as well.
Alternatively, you can bet on table tennis. It’s slightly different from lawn tennis but has similar rules. What’s more, there are plenty of table tennis games taking place in Eastern Europe countries.
Olympics and Marathons
After weeks of insisting this year’s Olympic Games would go on as scheduled, Japan finally suspended the tournament on March 24. The minister in charge of organizing the event said the move was made to protect people’s health. The Olympics will now take place in 2021.
When it comes to marathons, organizers are taking no chances. All marathons in cities and countries affected by Coronavirus have been postponed. If you had purchased tickets to these events, you’ll probably get a refund.
Many bookmakers are also refunding people who had bet on events that have been cancelled due to Coronavirus. However, they are also allowing bettors to wager on events that will happen later in the year, probably after the pandemic is over.
Baseball and Hockey
Similar to football and tennis, not all baseball and hockey games have been cancelled. In Taiwan and Japan, some baseball leagues are taking place amid Coronavirus. You’ve probably spotted these games on your preferred betting website.
The same applies to hockey. North America’s National Hockey League has been cancelled. However, the Russian league is still taking place. That means you are not out of games to predict if you only wager on hockey.
The Major Baseball League postponed its season before it even began mid-March. But thanks to the few Asian clubs offering baseball games, you can wager on money line, spreads and totals on a few of the games.
MMA and Boxing
UFC, the biggest MMA event organizer in the US, has no plans to suspend tournaments due to Coronavirus. Instead, it plans to hold these events without fans and stream them to the company’s millions of fans.
Elsewhere in the world, most MMA leagues have suspended games. On the flip side, boxing isn’t so much affected by COVID-19. All anticipated bouts, including Anthony Joshua’s match against Kubrat Pulev, are scheduled to go on with or without fans.
Esports and other Betting Markets
Esports are some of the most popular games on betting websites presently. That’s because they take place online and hence not many games have been suspended due to Coronavirus.
Apart from eSports, other markets not affected by COVID-19 cancellations are politics, weather conditions, financial markets, and casino games. That means you can still predict who will win the upcoming US election. Or you can play slots and poker at betting sites with these games.
Some bookies are becoming creative by also creating betting markets from TV shows, fantasy sports and activities celebrities are doing online.