European soccer leagues might be an ocean away, but when Illinois’ retail sportsbooks open their doors again, betting action on the biggest club matches in the world should be available. At least two of the most popular leagues for men’s soccer could resume play very soon.
Bundesliga is the top men’s club soccer league in Germany. The English Premier League is the same in, well, England. The appropriate governments have given both enterprises the green light to hold contests again, albeit without spectators physically in attendance.
There’s no concrete date for when the BetRivers Sportsbook in Des Plaines may open again. The same goes for when other brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, such as that which will occupy the Argosy Casino in Alton, might open their doors.
Regardless, those operators should have a robust offering of soccer for patrons. A successful resumption for these leagues should open the door for others to mimic their practices around the world.
The latest on European soccer leagues’ plans to resume play
Bundesliga will hold matches on Saturday and plans to finish its season. Most clubs had already played 25 of their 34 scheduled matches. The league should be able to wrap up play within a few weeks. The situation is a little less solid with the EPL right now.
On Monday, the government in the United Kingdom gave the EPL clearance to resume on June 1. The 20 member clubs still have to vote on whether to resume, but at this point, that should be a formality only.
Additionally, the EPL has yet to release an actual schedule for new matches. All the EPL clubs have played either 28 or 29 of their 38 matches, so again, wrapping up the 2019-20 season could be a relatively quick maneuver.
That greatly depends on how well athletes, managers and staff are able to navigate the current circumstances, however. Coronavirus testing of 1,700 Bundesliga personnel revealed 10 positive results. If such results grow, it might result in government officials suspending play again.
If the relaunches are successful, that could have positive ramifications. La Liga, the top men’s club league in Spain, and Serie A, the same in Italy, are considering moving to finish their seasons soon as well. If things go well in Germany and the UK, Italian and Spanish officials should be more inclined to allow that.
Barring unfortunate results, legal sports betting in Illinois might resume at the same time these leagues are wrapping up their 2019-20 seasons. That could mean a lot of European soccer action at those properties.
Proceed, but do so with a clear head when betting resumes
When Bundesliga and EPL matches are in progress, they should represent a good portion of the betting action at sportsbooks across the world. Sportsbooks might focus their marketing around these events, offering generous promotions.
Additionally, the uncertainty around how this situation might affect athletes and clubs could create some opportunities. For example, the recent forms of athletes and clubs may not bear as much weight given the fact that it’s been so long since they last saw the pitch. This might result in sportsbooks misjudging matches.
Bettors should inform themselves when considering these markets. That not only applies to keeping up with the latest developments in the leagues but sportsbooks’ policies regarding wagers on events that are affected by circumstances beyond their control.
Bettors should never assume that just because a match gets canceled by government order or a player has to quarantine, the sportsbooks will refund wagers. Bettors should check with sportsbooks about such policies prior to putting their money down.
The return of European soccer is exciting. This could be a great opportunity to diversify your betting. The uncertainty of the situation could be an obstacle, however. Perhaps now more than ever, wagering on sports requires bettors to stay in the know.
