The state of Indiana bolstered its online/mobile sports wagering industry on Thursday.
Times are unprecedented for the sports betting industry, both in the nascent U.S. market and around the globe. American sports betting was still in its infancy when the sports world came to a halt this month, as a mid-2018 Supreme Court ruling opened the floodgates for states around the country to legalize and regulate. Previously, Nevada was the only state with single-game wagering.
One of the early movers was Indiana, which legalized sports betting in 2019 and kicked off retail and online/mobile wagering last fall. All casinos in the state are currently closed, but online/mobile books are still operational and giving people stuck at home some options for entertainment in these trying times.
Five online/mobile books — DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, BetRivers, and PointsBet — are still offering attractive bonus offers for bettors regardless of bankroll size.
New sports added to the menu
According to the Indiana Gaming Commission’s website, regulators this week added a slew of additional sports and events, though few will be beneficial for the market in the near-term, as the sports world continues to grind to a halt. It remains a fluid situation globally.
Below is a list of the new Indiana approvals:
Auto racing: MOTO GP
The MOTO GP likely won’t resume until at least June or July, according to a report Thursday.
Basketball: Australia (NBL), Brazil (NBB), and Japan (B.League)
The NBL approval comes as the Grand Final series abruptly came to a halt Thursday, Reuters reported.
The NBB suspended its season earlier this week.
The B.League also suspended its season this week, but there’s speculation it could resume next month.
Cricket: South Africa Cricket (Momentum One Day Cup)
Cricket in South Africa was hanging on by a thread this week, but as of Wednesday it’s reportedly on indefinite hiatus and athletes were told to self-isolate.
Rugby: European Challenge Cup, Premiership Rugby Cup, and Super Rugby
The European Rugby season was postponed earlier this week. Same goes for Rugby involving international teams in Argentina, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa, according to a Thursday report.
Indiana sportsbooks were already approved for Australian rugby, which for now is still ongoing thanks to extreme precautions. Indiana sportsbooks currently have markets for the National Rugby League (NRL).
Aussie Rules Football (AFL), approved for legal betting in Indiana well before this week, is also still ongoing and Indiana books are taking bets.
Soccer: U.S. Open Cup, UEFA (all UEFA countries), AFC (Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea), CONMEBOL (Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela), and CONCACAF (Argentina, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama)
The vast majority of the soccer world has come to a halt, but, according to NBC Sports, some countries are still attempting to hold games. As of Thursday, Indiana online/mobile sportbooks were still able to find some international soccer markets — for the time being.
Table tennis: International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), European Table Tennis Union (ETTU)
Table tennis is on hold until at least the end of April, according to the organizations.
