We may not have sports to bet on, but bettors and oddsmakers are finding ways to be creative. Simulations of sports have been an extremely popular way of passing time and a means to scratch that betting itch.
We’ve seen a lot of popular livestreams of games from Madden NFL 20, MLB The Show 20, NBA2k20, and NHL 20 from EA Sports. While some people have gone into the annals to resurrect games like RBI Baseball, Tecmo Super Bowl, NHL 94, and Ken Griffey Baseball, Twitch streamers and professionals in the iGaming and e-Gaming industries have been putting together these simulation leagues by putting both teams on computer control and playing out the action.
Some have actually found betting value in these simulations, though it would be a little bit disingenuous at this point to call anybody “sharp”. Nevertheless, these simulations remind us of what sports can be and how much we will cherish the real thing when they get back.
One of the sportsbooks offering a vast array of betting options for both sports video game simulations and e-Sports is Bookmaker Sportsbook. We’ve seen an increased level of popularity for the e-Sports market as well, as games like Fortnite, Counter Strike, Dota, Overwatch, and League of Legends can easily allow for social distancing during the quarantine period. Major media outlets and networks have taken an interest in all of these types of things to really enhance the reach and intrigue across multiple generations.
Demand creates supply. There has been a lot of demand for these sports simulations and e-Sports, so much so that you can bet different props and first halves for these games. Anytime something gets taken away or becomes in short supply, something else fills the void. We may have reached a point where these simulated sports games become part of the fabric of sports betting.
e-Sports is already there. It is a multi-billion dollar industry that is achieving new levels of visibility because of what is going on globally. There were pockets of significant interest in e-Sports, but a lot of people have started gaming again and a lot of bettors have been looking for different markets to wager on. While no industry ever wants to benefit from a pandemic or some sort of other global tragedy, the coronavirus quarantine and the absence of leagues like the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the loss of March Madness have catapulted e-Sports to the forefront. With that comes a brand-new generation of fans and bettors.
e-Sports were a legitimate entity long before coronavirus, so their appearance on the betting boards is nothing new. Their appearance as the first tab that you see when you log in to your sportsbook is something new. Some would say that e-Sports were already a robust market before this dark time in the planet’s history, but there is no denying that they are now.
The question becomes what happens with these sports simulations when the real thing is back. As we know, the NBA has examined some alternate timelines for the regular season, including a season that runs over the summer and only goes up against Major League Baseball for ratings and viewers. Will these sports simulations find ways to fill the void in other slow times for professional and amateur sports? While the answer is probably no, anything is possible.
Instead of looking into an uncertain future, we have to focus on the present and the fact of the matter is that betting on video games has become a life vest in a time of need for gamblers. Until sports return, these simulations are not going away. That means we can research them and analyze them and bet on them.
Bookmaker Sportsbook offers up a lot of opportunity to bet on these various events and also has a handle on additional events worldwide, such as soccer, table tennis, and the worlds of entertainment and politics. Sign up, take a look around, and bet with one of the best on these markets and then have your bankroll ready to go when the professional sports come back around.
