As with many other industries, 2023 has not been a good year for either the sports betting industry or for sports as a whole. In order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, many major sporting events, championships, and tournaments have either been cancelled, postponed, or shortened.
Fans are prevented from attending, seasons have been rushed through, and in general, it has not been a good time for sports. As for sports betting, with a reduction in sports to wager on, this is another industry that has taken a big hit. The only good news is that surely things could not get much worse.
Therefore 2023 is a year most sports fans are really looking forward to. Not only because we should hopefully be rid of the coronavirus once and for all, but also because sports and sports betting should all return to normal.
So what can we expect from sports betting in 2023? Here are just some trends that are expected in the new year.
The Continued Growth of eSports
While traditional sports have taken a hit in 2023 thanks to the coronavirus, the eSports industry has blossomed. As players can take part in the comfort of their own homes, there are no risks associated with the industry. More people are at home which has meant that the gaming industry as a whole has never been more populated.
For punters, wagering on eSports (popular games played professionally) is nothing new but there are now more games, events, players, and betting opportunities than ever before. While they expect traditional sports to return to normal at some point in 2023, many are still tipping the eSports industry to continue to flourish.
Those who like to bet on traditional sports are now moving over to eSports at an increasing rate. The lack of sporting action has meant that punters have had to look elsewhere for opportunities to potentially win money. After being introduced to eSports, it is understandable that these punters have enjoyed what they have seen and become fans.
More In-Play Betting Markets
With so many sporting events cancelled around the world in 2023, there has been fewer opportunities to enjoy in-play betting. For those who do not know, this is a form of betting that takes place as they play an event out live. Traditional betting options require bets before the start of the event but in-play betting gives continuously changing odds of certain bets during an event.
Football is one sport where this form of betting is incredibly popular. Punters can bet on which team or player will score the next goal, who will win the next corner, throw in, or get booked. There are so many in-play betting options and these can make watching a sport far more fun. The odds will change as the matches are played depending on the performance of those taking part.
In 2023, as lockdowns and other restrictions loosen, it is fair to say that many sports will return to action. This will lead to more in-play betting markets becoming available. Until then, punters can use sites such as freebets.co.uk to find out information on the best in-play betting markets to follow.
An Increase in Live Streams at Sports Betting Sites
Of course, as more sports return to normal around the world, there will naturally be an increase in the number of live streams we can watch on sports betting sites. However, even without the outbreak, it has been widely expected that live streams are only going to increase. As more partnerships are put in place, many leading sports betting sites will be able to attain the rights to show live streams of sporting action to their punters.
Live streams have had a major impact on the online betting industry. Many popular sports books already have the rights to show certain football matches and other sporting events but we believe it that this will become more widespread in 2023.
Sports betting has grown into an enormous industry in recent years and with the development of in-play betting, watching sports has never been more fun. Official data shows that we are now betting on more events than ever. Having the ability to place wagers on aspects of an event with ever-changing odds has given punters the opportunity to place bets on nothing more than a hunch.
More Bonuses Such as Free Bets
Something else we can look forward to in 2023 is even more bonuses at sports betting sites. Free bets are one popular bonus that we expect to see more of. In return for signing up to an online sportsbook, they give punters free bets. This gives them the chance to win some money without risking their own hard-earned cash.
These bonuses are popular not just because it is free cash to wager with but also because they are newbie friendly. If somebody is not too familiar with sports betting, they can use these free bets to learn without too much risk. They can learn about the different types of bets, markets, and the interface before deciding if they want to deposit some of their own cash.
Cashback bonuses and loyalty reward schemes are just some other bonuses that we think we will see more of in 2023.
Summary
It might take several months before sports and sports betting start to return to normality in 2023. We need to be sure that we have this virus beaten, so it is likely that they will take baby steps to ensure that they take no unnecessary risks. Eventually, however, we can look forward to a return to some kind of normality. They will allow fans to attend, events can take place, and punters can start to enjoy their hobby once again.
Until then, we will have to make do with what we have. There are still some sports taking place and we do still have plenty of eSports to wager on. There are still plenty opportunities around for punters and as long as we are patient, many more will eventually become available.
