And now, what are we betting on?
With the crisis caused by COVID-19 and the stoppage of all sports activities, the last of the events being the Tokyo Olympic Games canceled, as well as the closure of betting shops, operators and their customers are facing a vacuum. Online can be an alternative, but what to bet on now that all the events have been canceled? The dilemma opens the door to the most imaginative solutions.
With sporting events cancelled, punters are wondering what to do now. The situation is not easy, but the operators are striving to find alternatives, each one more imaginative. ©Photorech/Pixabay
The pandemic caused by the coronavirus has reached global dimensions. The risks to public health have been assumed and all sporting events cancelled . There is no competition in Europe, of any sport, that has not stopped.
We cannot forget that it has already been pointed out that the football match between Atalanta Bergamo and Valencia, corresponding to the knockout stages of the Champions League and which was played on February 19 in Milan, could have been one of the main foci of contagion and spread of the virus in northern Italy.
The Mayor of Bergamo, Giorgio Gori, described it as bómba biológica .
“At the time we didn't know what was going on. The first patient in Italy was on February 23. If the virus was already circulating, the forty thousand fans who went to the San Siro stadium were infected.”
Recall that Valencia was the first Spanish professional team hit by the pandemic. Now it has been the International Olympic Committee that with good judgment has decided postpone until next year , and after much hesitation, the Tokyo Games that would have been held this summer.
The economic losses what all this will cause to professional sports are incalculable. And with the competitions stopped, the bookmakers, who also see your business in danger , they have set to work to be able to offer their customers an alternative pastime and enjoyment.
Despite the decrease that sports betting has experienced in New Zealand during the last quarter of 2019, according to the report published by the DGOJ , they are still by far the segment that brings the most benefits to the operators. It accounts for almost half of the total bets on gambling.
The most imaginative alternatives
It's not that the sport has stopped completely. There are still countries with some active competitions , the Russian table tennis championship, for example; although they are not the most attractive for punters. The major football or basketball leagues are missed, as well as the Formula 1 world Championship or motorcycling.
The big sports event channels have also had to reinvent themselves, and in what way. For example, what do you think about marble races? Well, there is a whole ‘Marbula One' competition that seems to be gaining followers once there is nothing better to see.
This was reported in the prestigious magazine Forbes that echoed the event. It is much more spectacular and organized than we imagined. With that you put a little of your part, we are sure that it can be a great enjoyment.
It seems that the Spanish bookmakers are taking a while to adapting to the new situation . With the sports competitions stopped, Marca Apuestas, for example, continues to have the US elections in its offer, but it is not even known if these are going to be held.
We've done some digging and we've come across the most varied offers . Of course, they are operators in which one cannot register according to Spanish legislation, as they lack a legal license in our country. But it's worth a look.
You can bet on the gender of the winner or the winner of American Idol; to the birth rate of this year in the United States; or if more PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X units will be sold this month... So as much as it's not an offer.
Meanwhile, the NBA basketball team Phoenix Suns has decided to continue with the competition, but on Twitch , via NBA 2K20, the well-known video game. Similar initiatives have also taken place in our country.
The Liga Santander Challenge it brought together players from the teams of the First Football Division, but at the controls of the Play , resulting in the winner Marcos Asensio of Real Madrid, who defeated Leganés player Aitor Ruibal in the grand final. A great initiative, no doubt.
Is eSports the solution?
Betting on eSports that take place on digital platforms such as Twitch or YouTube can become the great alternative now that there is no possibility to bet on mass sports events. ©dife88/Pixabay
Initiatives such as the Santander Challenge League highlight the importance of eSports . Although many official events have been cancelled , and we will see if the Fortnite World Cup will finally be held this summer in New York, as announced.
But both virtual sports, football, tennis, horse or dog racing, as well as the eSports that take place on digital platforms as YouTube or Twitch seem to be imposed as alternatives.
Journalist and eSports consultant Rod Breslau stated the following:
“it's going to be huge for the esports industry. Traditional sports leagues close and people stay at home... this leads directly to seeing and participating in the video game industry.”
Anyway, we will see if both virtual sports and eSports manage to reach, or if it is possible to approach, the turnover that generate the traditional bets.
Football stops, doesn't it?
In New Zealand the blow to professional football has been brutal. Numerous teams are proposing employment regulation files , as provided for by law, or they have agreed with the squads a significant reduction in the salary of the players during the months that the competition stops.
But there is a football competition that all eyes have been on. The national football championship in Belarus it's still taking place. The fact that it is currently the only UEFA league that is held, has attracted the attention, for example, of important media in Russia and even in India.
The fact is that the impact of COVID-19 has not been as serious in this Eastern European country as it has been in central and western Europe. Life goes on its normal course , and the main competitions in football, handball or ice hockey continue as if it were not the thing.
The picturesque President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, was i was bragging a few days ago that in your country cases of contagion are minimal and, in addition, he recommended against the virus that it was best to go to the sauna two or three times a week, wash your hands with vodka and drink every day between 40 and 50 millimeters of the so popular alcoholic beverage. Without a doubt, some statements that can make us laugh but that are quite irresponsible.
