Well, it looks like the coronavirus just dealt the world a bad beat.
The novel respiratory illness that’s officially named COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on people around the world. It’s infected nearly 600,000 people, killed nearly 25,000 and entire countries on lockdown.
It’s decimated economies from the UK to the United States to Uganda, caused an untold amount of stress and pushed hospitals to the brink.
And it’s ruined sports.
The NBA, NHL, Major League baseball have all shut down their seasons. The NCAA cancelled the Big Dance before it ever started. Cricket tours and competitions have been postponed or cancelled in countries around the globe. Asia has been without sporting events for nearly a month and Europe isn’t all that far behind.
But that doesn’t mean there are no bets to be made.
Sports books around the world are getting creative to ensure that the coronavirus doesn’t kill their craft.
Here are three things you need to know about the coronavirus and sports betting:
1) No Sports? No Problem.
Sure, the Major League Baseball season is on hold, but what do you know about Ukrainian table tennis?
That’s right: table tennis.
Sports books that used to make a killing on baseball, basketball, cricket, soccer and other traditional sports have turned to those that are best classified as “unconventional.”
And it’s not just sports.
You can bet on the stock market, simulated video games of NBA2K and Madden, and foreign horse races being held around the world. You can bet on politics, celebrity deathpools and, yes, even the weather.
No sports on which to bet? That’s no problem during the cornovirus shutdown.
2) The Smart Money is on the Students of the Game
You know what professional athletes do during their off-seasons? They work on their games–and you can do the same.
This break in the betting action is a great time for you to go to school.
It’s the perfect opportunity to do a deep-dive into the sports on which you most frequently wager. Take some time to study long- and short-term trends. Unpack and analyze rosters, break down individual athletes, understand what moves teams are making and how it will impact their performances on the pitch.
Or maybe you want to begin to expand your horizons?
Why not use this time to learn about new sports that can offer exciting and lucrative wagering opportunities, such as cricket? Thanks to the internet, there are sites out there that can tell you everything you need to know about betting on cricket, tennis or any other sport.
The lack of athletic competition can also be a chance for you to look in the mirror and do a self-inventory. Are you managing your bankroll effectively? Are you betting for the right reasons? Are you employing the right strategies?
This is essentially your off-season. Make the most of it by becoming a student of the games on which you bet.
3) Bet on the Future of Gaming
The coronavirus has changed everything.
It’s shut down entire sports seasons, cities and businesses–including sports books and casinos, whose stock values have plummeted since the pandemic began.
And that means that right now might be the perfect time to invest in them.
You might never again have an opportunity to buy stock in some of the world’s best casinos for so little money
Shares in the Las Vegas Sands are down about 25 percent. The MGM Resorts have taken an almost 20-percent hit. Caesars Entertainment, Penn National and many more have had their values slashed.
But they probably won’t stay that way for long.
The pandemic will end at some point. The global economy will bounce back. And it’s likely that people will once again start looking to the casinos for fun and distraction.
When they do, the stock prices are likely to rebound.
Yes, right now might be a great time to bet on casinos and sports books. After all, one of the greatest investors of all time–Mr. Warren Buffett–once said, “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.”
Right now, others are fearful. So it’s time to get greedy–and that just might mean betting on the gaming industry recovering (and then some) once the pandemic passes.
After all, it’s dealt the world a bad beat–but the public health experts don’t expect it to last forever.
