How Online Betting saved Football Fans of Boredom during Pandemic?

Home ⇒ Articles

By Jonathan Lewis | 25th MAY 2021

Since early 2020, most of our lives have completely changed. Many of us are forced to work from home, and schools have closed and reopened in some areas a few times to help reduce the spread of the deadly virus.

For football fans, it wasn’t easy. For many of us, football is much more than just 22 players kicking a ball on a pitch. Some of us feel it’s part of our life, something that makes us feel extremely happy or very sad, something that provides us with entertainment like no other. The Premier League, arguably the best domestic football league on the planet, was temporarily postponed for a stage last season. With many fans hoping it continued, especially runaway title challengers, Liverpool Football Club, it left many of us in limbo. Other leagues like the Dutch league and the French league were canceled, and the remaining games were not going to proceed, but luckily enough the Premiership did.

Although games were to remain behind closed doors, most football fans were over the moon because they were able to tune into the games week in week out. It would help break up the week and give people something to look forward to for the weekend.

To add to the excitement, many football fans put a wager on the games. Going to the local bookies might not have been an option because experts advise us to only leave the house for essential items, so many signed up to an online kasyno to allow them to gamble.

Mental Health Issues

Although there were and still are many governments around the globe claiming that football games are not essential and should have been canceled during the pandemic, for some people, watching their team play is the most important thing in their lives. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, there has been a huge increase in the number of people suffering from mental health issues. Depression and anxiety are often caused by loneliness and the lack of something. Allowing football to proceed during the pandemic helped a lot of people from having these thoughts. It made them feel like they have purpose and often gave them motivation because they knew there was something to get excited about.

Forcing anyone to stay indoors is difficult, however, young people often find it harder than others. This is the time in their lives that they are supposed to be free and really discover the world. With travel restrictions and Covid-19 regulations everywhere they go, it is difficult for many of them to enjoy their life. Many of these people need a little bit of adrenaline now and again, and putting a bet on their favorite team is one way they might get that feeling.

If a person bets responsibly, it can be a really fun pastime. If you then mix it with your favorite sport, then it can be even more enjoyable.

Learn a New Game during the Pandemic

Due to boredom, we have seen an increase in the number of people watching football. Manchester United’s derby game against city rivals, Manchester City earlier this season was the most-watched Premier League game of all time. Because so many around the globe are stuck indoors, it is a perfect opportunity to start watching the game.

It is also a great time to learn how to play casino games too. If you have ever been to a land-based casino, you might have found the amount of games available is a little bit overwhelming. Popular card games like Texas Holdem’ might seem far too complex and time-consuming to learn. However, during the pandemic, many of us found ourselves with plenty of spare time on our hands. Instead of spending each day watching streaming platforms and scrolling through social media accounts, many people learned a new skill. Lots of people learned card games, dice games, etc. You can easily find an online casino that you can play for fake money, so you don’t even have to risk your hard-earned cash. The pandemic has been a perfect opportunity for people wanting to get into gambling.

It brings a bit of Normality to a Strange time in our Lives

When football returned, even without fans, it made a lot of people feel that things might be able to return to normal. These positive feelings are vital because it helps people stay positive. Even if the team that you support is losing week in week out, many feel it’s better than no football at all.

Lots of people are used to putting a small bit of money into a game during the weekend. Even if it’s not a lot of cash, it gives some people that extra bit of excitement. Some people before the pandemic would finish work on a Friday afternoon, place their bets at their local bookies and then spend the weekend going to or watching the games on the television. When the virus spread all over the world, this was all a thing of the past. No more football, no more traditional bookies, and no more going to work. Once football returned and people created online betting accounts, things felt slightly back to normal.

Conclusion

To help reduce transmission of the virus, football teams stay in the same bubble. If an outbreak occurs, it should be a straightforward task to find out exactly who has it and to be able to control it within the group. There is light at the end of the tunnel, especially in the United Kingdom because they have vaccinated a large percentage of the population already.

It is unclear whether or not punters will return to land-based casinos. Even those who would have only placed bets in their local bookies have been gambling online instead. Because online casinos don’t have as many running costs as land-based casinos and bookies, they can provide their visitors with much better odds and promotions. It might be a struggle trying to get people back into physical bookies once the pandemic is over.

Jonathan Lewis is an MFF sports writer