NEWS
22 April 2020
UK sportsbooks look to darts and FIFA tournaments
By Tim Poole

In the absence of major sport, many brands are offering added table tennis markets and promotions, while some operators have also begun to offer new free-to-play competitions in a bid to attract players.

However, sportsbooks have been offered the chance to still offer major darts markets due to the creation of the Home Tour, where professional players play at home through a video feed.

Meanwhile, Premier League footballers – and others around the world – have been taking each other on from home in tournaments on the video game FIFA 2020.

As well as several bookmakers, some sports betting affiliates have chosen to focus on FIFA and darts, rather than pivoting more towards other verticals like casino or poker.

Although betting companies now have the ability to feature Premier League footballers and world-class darts players in a different format, it remains to be seen how much this boosts handle and revenue in the absence of major sport.

Operators like DraftKings (in the US) and 888 Holdings have expanded their virtual sports offering recently, while a number of gaming firms, EveryMatrix being a prominent example, have prioritised esports as a whole.