All major sport was suspended in mid-March last year worldwide during the first wave of the coronavirus, which didn’t return until two months later with the German Bundesliga, followed by the English Premier League in June.
Since then, the majority of matches have been played behind closed doors, virtually all in 2021, but most high-profile sport, including football, has returned to a full schedule since September.
CEO of EveryMatrix Ebbe Groes, told Gambling Insider that the online gaming supplier has seen more uptake for its sports betting products since the pandemic, which has given operators a great reason to diversify their offering.
Groes said: “Sports betting is alive and kicking, despite 2020’s unfortunate turn of events. We went through some wild couple of months last year, which we’ll all going to remember, that’s for sure.
“We’ve definitely seen more uptake. We came out really strong from 2020 despite COVID-19 and the sports shutdown.
“If you ever needed a good reason for balancing your offering between retail and online, COVID-19 was it. And those who were not ready have suffered, not only in the short-term from revenue loss but also in the long-term in driving players over to competitors with stronger online offerings.”
In terms of noticeable trends spotted during the new sporting environment of bio-secure bubbles, more matches in a condensed timeframe and no fans, Groes mentioned a rise in away team betting.
A lack of home advantage with no crowds has led to more away wins in the Premier League so far this season, with 40% of all wins coming away from home, compared to 38% at home.
Groes added: "It’s tough to see matches being played behind closed doors, that’s for sure. I am a huge sports fan, and I definitely miss the thrills of being more present in the game.
“Statistically, it seems that away teams have a better chance of succeeding. Odds for the away teams are dropping while the odds for home teams are rising. Also, something worth noting is that more points and goals have been scored with no fans in the stadium.”
You can read the full sports betting update feature in the March/April edition of Gambling Insider.
