Booking and Wagering on Smaller Sports and Niche Markets
With the recent events regarding COVID-19, bookmakers around the world have been forced to become resourceful in their efforts to find additional sports to add to their betting menu. This has created a unique situation for bettors and bookmakers all around the world. Bookmakers typically exercise their edge in the largest of markets such as NFL, NBA, or college football. It is in these markets that you typically see larger limits, as sportsbooks feel relatively comfortable that they are on a more even playing field with bettors.
Bookmakers typically offer lower limits and higher holds when dealing with markets that don’t attract as much recreational money or where they feel that they are at an informational disadvantage. These unusual times have brought about a new world though for sports bettors where typically small limit sports are being treated as premier products in many of the world’s sportsbooks.
The Emergence of Niche Sports Wagering Today
Bookmakers typically do just enough work to hang a reasonable betting line on any given event and let the bettors do the rest of the work hammering out the line. When dealing with the major sports, they are usually able to set an opening line that is relatively close to what the actual number should be. However, in these smaller markets, information is harder to come by, and the lack of experience with a given market will often lead bookmakers to open lines that are far from where they should be.
We’ve seen the emergence of niche sports such as ping pong, “mini-tour” golf, international baseball, and even video games with the proliferation of esports wagering. This has created an opportunity for professional sports bettors that do their homework, as well as those who practice arbitrage tactics who benefit from aggressive line moves in these niche markets.
Niche Sports Require True Bookmaking Skill
The bookmaker’s skill at his craft is truly tested in these smaller markets and this is precisely where the ability to react to bets appropriately is more important than ever. These smaller markets also serve as battlegrounds for bettors who are looking to exploit larger edges for smaller limits.
If you are an aspiring professional sports bettor or a bookmaker looking to hone his or her craft, this is an excellent place to cut your teeth. The skills you amass in these smaller markets can teach valuable lessons which one day could allow you to conquer larger markets on either side of the counter.
When regular sports return, you will most likely see a departure from these smaller sports, but the great part about the sports betting markets is that customers will always drive what events the bookmaker accepts bets on. If one day customers prefer to bet on ping pong more than they do NFL football than you will see that reflected in wagering menus, as well as betting limits.
Circa Sports has done its best the past couple of months to keep a business-as-usual approach regarding our wagering menu and to give bettors as many wagering options as possible during these uncertain times. Don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected] with suggestions for any additional sports or wagers you’d like to see on our betting menu.