I put a post out on Facebook last week that I would be summonsing all my will power and would be giving up Sports Betting for a few weeks. There was a wide range of reactions with most people asking if this was a cry for help and I had perhaps been kidnapped, while others commended me on having the discipline to make this move.
There were of course others who realized that far from being a noble gesture, the rate at which global sporting events were being cancelled meant I was left with little choice as there was simply going to be nothing left to bet on.
The reason of course, Covid-19, the global pandemic which has resulted in punters wanting to have a sport bet resorting to the Hungarian 3rd Football Division for some action.
There is plenty of talk in the media of the impact of the virus on the economy and rightly so. One of the industries that doesn’t get mentioned though is the Sports Betting fraternity. There are thousands of local staff members employed whether they be in retail outfits or behind the scenes for online bookmakers. There are surely going to be industry casualties of this sporting blackout as regular punters, like myself, are left with precious little to bet on and bookmakers turnovers dry up.
At the time of writing Horse Racing in South Africa looks set to go ahead behind closed doors, usually not a problem given the dwindling crowds, but I personally don’t want to get dragged back into becoming a regular horse racing punter. That being said I have just bought shares in 2 horses so some involvement is inevitable.
Some bookmakers, like World Sports Betting, have Bet Games, Lotto betting and live games including Roulette and so for those who enjoy that type of a bet (I do but realized years ago I should stick to sports betting) there are at least options.
It is a real pity that online Poker is illegal in this country because that would have been the perfect alternative to Sports Betting at this time.
The next few weeks are going to be interesting as ironically I hadn’t watched much Super Rugby due to all my children’s sport and now I have neither to watch and will have to find a way to use my time constructively.
Stay Safe!
Twitter: @BrentGraham.
This article was written for the CitiGaming supplement of the Citizen Newspaper and was published on the 19 March 2020.
Brent Graham is a blogger on www.goodforthegame.co.za and sends a free weekly e-mail list just CLICK HERE to register