To the supreme joy of UK bookies, punters, and football fans alike, The Premier League (PL) has been given the green light to resume after its multi-month-long hiatus. Beginning on 17th June, teams will once again hit the field with the goal of finishing off the rest of the season before 2nd August, a deadline set by the Uefa.

Finally, with major questions being answered – including a frenzy of televised games – sportsbooks can breathe a collective sigh of relief that the football betting market will soon be back in action. Of course, the 92 remaining fixtures (all clubs playing 29 games each) will need to playout according to pandemic rules, which means matches will take place in empty stadiums and mostly at the stadiums of the home team. Every match will be shown live on TV, with 64 of the 92 games on Sky and 25 of the 92 games to reportedly be free to air.

The Return of Football Could Give Bookmakers a Much-needed Profit Boost

COVID-19 has devastated economies across the globe and few businesses can claim that they haven’t suffered a loss in revenue since the novel coronavirus tightened its hold. Gambling operators, particularly sportsbooks, are not among these lucky few.

Even social-distance friendly online and mobile bookies have felt the crushing blow with football being the main income source for these apps; an income that quickly dried up when professional sports were suspended across the board in March.

But is canceling football really such a loss to these brands that have so many other sports markets? Indeed, it is. According to a 2018 UK Gambling Commission survey, 73% percent of gabling participants engage in sports betting online and football is the most popular betting activity followed closely by horse racing.

Even in Germany football is usually the top choice among bettors but COVID has been affecting major markets. This has resulted in either German punters choosing to pause betting activities (85.1%), or those who continue to bet to turn their attention to the likes of virtual sports and eSports. In fact, eSports events have actually done very well at German sportsbooks, taking 75% of bets in recent months versus the mere 7.1% on football.

However, with the Premier League returning, online bookies are likely to see a return of some of their bettors. What’s more, even land-based bookies may finally catch a break after being forced to shut their doors for nearly three months, as physical shops are also set to open 15th June.

The Future Remains Uncertain

Still, while some bookies may be ready to breathe a collective sigh of relief, others are holding their breath because dates of reopening shops and resuming PL matches could be pushed back if infection rates rise.

Moreover, although the Premier League has resolved what it will do next, this doesn’t mean that other clubs and leagues are in the same boat. On the contrary, at the time of this writing, League Two clubs voted to end the season, League One has yet to reach a decision about what it will do, and the Championship continues to hope it will resume.

Also, let’s not forget that even if the Premier League and other clubs and leagues restart, this doesn’t mean that all will go according to plan. Without a vaccine, medical protocols still need to be stringently followed. Any players or staff member who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate for seven days. While this may not be a problem if only one or two become infected, if multiple players test positive, this – or a wide-scale resurgence of the virus in the country – could, yet again, bring the season to a standstill.

For now, bookies, punters, and football fans can only hope the new normal will kick-off for the PL without a hitch.