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Cost of Living

From hockey to beer pong or Tajik soccer: the challenges gamblers face during COVID

Fewer sporting events and less information mean new substitutes for the usual bets placed by those who gamble on sports. So what are the financial consequences for those playing on some very different fields in the age of COVID-19?

Fewer sporting events and less information mean new substitutes for the usual bets

CBC Radio ·
Bettors wait to make wagers on sporting events at the Borgata casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Wayne Parry/AP Pohot.)
Cost of Living7:31Face slapping and soccer in Tajikistan … just what are sports bettors gambling on, anyway?

For those who like to bet money on sporting events, the cancellations of hundreds of games and events due to the COVID-19 pandemic has meant turning to some obscure substitutes.

With more than $14 billion a year spent on sports gaming, according to the Canadian Gaming Association, there's a lot of potential money that gamblers are looking to spend now that hockey, basketball or baseball are off the table — at least temporarily.

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Gamblers such as Ryan Métivier said while they'd normally bet on sports such as Major League Soccer, he's had to scale back and change what he bets on.

"So during the pandemic, I've definitely had to scale back my betting," said Métivier, who writes for online review site Sports Betting Dime.

Probably the weirdest thing I've bet during the pandemic is a virtual beer pong game.- Ryan Métivier, Sports Betting Dime

"I've still managed to do a few soccer bets. Leagues like the Belarus Soccer League has been playing this whole time … [the] Nicaraguan soccer league has been playing. A couple of other soccer leagues, like Tajikistan."

Métivier also told CBC Radio's The Cost of Living that he was also turning to sports like Aussie Rules Football, which he described as "basically like rugby in Australia," but didn't limit his choices to those overseas, but still somewhat traditional choices.

"Probably the weirdest thing I've bet during the pandemic is a virtual beer pong game," said Métivier.

Turkish soccer, anyone?

According to sports betting company DraftKings, betting on second-tier soccer in Turkey was up by more than 2,000 per cent.

But placing wagers on these events that many Canadians would consider unusual is perhaps not a major money-making endeavour. Métivier said he is about breaking even at this point.

The trick, according to experts, is finding enough information about these sports to be able to wager successfully.

With more mainstream events for a Canadian audience — say, hockey — information is more plentiful. It's easier to make good bets, because you can analyze the odds that are set by the information available.

"If the way that you make money is by finding an information edge ... you're now finding ways to gamble in lesser known leagues … where information is really at a premium," said Moshe Lander, professor of economics at Concordia University in Montreal.

Moshe Lander is a sports economist at Concordia University. (CBC)

"There could be some really easy information out there that the vast majority of people aren't picking up on because they're not paying attention. So as a professional bettor if you're willing to invest that time … you probably have an edge there," said Lander, who teaches the economics of professional sports.

Can you speak Tajik? You might have an advantage

As an example, bookmakers have a lot of information on sports like NBA basketball or Major League Baseball. So if a betting website had the Toronto Blue Jays as +8000 underdogs to win the World Series, you would win $8,000 if you bet $100 on the Jays taking it all.

But these bookmakers aren't running a charity, and they use a lot of information to set those odds.

Soccer in Tajikistan? It's a lot harder to come by that information in Canada. So if you can find out just a little bit more about how a team is doing, you could gain an advantage.

"When you're streaming some of these leagues, you're finding … a Russian commentary, which isn't that helpful," said Ryan Métivier.

"I'm probably guilty of probably copying and pasting a couple of … previews and Google Translating them," said Métivier.

However, the gambler did say — he was able to win some money on virtual beer pong by looking up biographical information on the contestants through their Twitter and social media profiles.

It's all about the advantages you can get from more information, say those who want or need to bet — at least, until the major leagues come back to town.

Produced by Richard Raycraft.
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