FEATURES
A RETURN TO SPORTS
A STAGGERED RETURN
Tim Poole assesses the slow and steady comeback of betting on major sport
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GAMBLINGINSIDER.COM
“Goal! The crowd goes wild as Mo Salah slots home Liverpool’s second!” It’s a phrase we’re not likely to hear anytime soon – even when English Premier League football returns from its coronavirus pandemic-enforced absence. As the comeback of the German Bundesliga showed us earlier this summer, football played behind closed doors has a distinctly different feel to it. The same applies for other sports that, at press time, have either resumed or are planning their resumptions: UFC, NASCAR, MLB and golf being notable case studies. From a betting perspective, this does make a difference. A lack of atmosphere makes for reduced viewing, which impacts wagering levels. But the continuation of sport in a reduced form is a necessary step towards an overall return – and ultimately far better than no major sports to bet on at
all. This is the situation facing sportsbooks across the world today, who have gone from thriving betting volumes to barely any at all, and now they find themselves somewhere in the middle. Mid-May marked the beginning of the sporting calendar’s revival, as UFC action returned in the US, followed by NASCAR, while Bundesliga football resumed in Europe. In the short term, Rush Street Interactive saw its sports wagering handle for a single weekend double that of any other weekend during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Kindred Group also seeing a doubling of turnover. Speaking to Gambling Insider in light of the Bundesliga’s return following the first weekend of action, a Kindred spokesperson commented: “The first major league in football returning was a welcomed contribution to making the situation we all find ourselves in more
