How You Can Bet Online Amid The Cornovirus Outbreak (Yes, It's Possible)

NCAA March Madness? Canceled. NBA regular season? Postponed. Soccer games around the globe? Also postponed. Betting online? Still possible. Yes, despite all the sport stoppages due to COVID-19, there are still bettable games/events at your disposal — and you’re about to find out which ones! Read this very special Coronavirus-edition betting guide before panicking!

A world void of sports — up until March 2020, no one believed such a thing would ever exist. Yet, that's the peculiar predicament we find ourselves in (temporarily, or so we can all hope) after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Of course, a sports-less world hits extra hard for gamblers everywhere. March is usually a sport betting haven thanks to NCAA March Madness, the last stretch of NBA regular season, and MLB opening day.

But wait, it's not all doom and gloom! That's right, get off the ledge, because betting options still exist at this very moment despite all the sport shutdowns! Admittedly, not a whole lot, but something is better than nothing. Over the course of this guide, we'll restore your faith in humanity (ever so slightly) during this time of crisis with online bets you can make right now!

Online Casinos and Poker Rooms

A real-life casino — with all its playing surfaces to touch and people to come close in contact with — is the last place you want to visit during a viral spread like the one we're currently experiencing. But an online one? There's no imminent threat there!

Better yet, there's a bunch of casino sign-up bonuses available presently. Most work along the same line: sign up for an online sportsbook, fund your betting account, and you'll be matched a percentage of that deposit in free money. Yes, free, and to the tune of hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

In more ways than one, these online casinos rival the real thing, too. There are slots, there are table games, there are video poker machines, and so much more. Don't be surprised to find anywhere from 100 to 200 different casino games to play at many betting sites.

Moreover, we'd be remiss not to mention live dealer games. This feature is the perfect blend of a virtual and real-life casino. It can still be played from the comfort of your computer, but in this scenario, there's an actual dealer (yes, a human one) dealing out the cards via webcam stream. That's social distancing at its finest, folks!

The amount of traffic to an online casino can make or break the playing experience. With little of it, games can be sparsely-populated and lacking "thrill." No such problem exists right now as players are flocking to casinos to scratch that betting itch they have. Whether you're a high roller or budget player, there's a casino game to fill your sports betting void.

eSports Betting

The Coronavirus crisis is hitting a ton of ind, and others.

ustries hard — airline, cruise, hotels, betting, etc. However, one industry it's probably helped is video games. Honestly, is there a better activity to do while quarantined than gaming? Probably not.

Even before this outbreak, eSports betting lines have become more readily available on many online betting sites such as Bovada, MyBookie, BetNow

Currently, we're in the midst of the ESL Pro League, which will crown a world champion in the popular Counter-Strike: Global Offensive game. The tourney is in the group stage with multiple best-of-three matchups occurring daily.

Never bet on eSports? No problem. It's practically a clone of normal sports betting in there's spreads, moneylines, and over/under totals to choose from — if not, parlay altogether.

On top of Counter-Strike, competitions for other games like Overwatch and Dota 2 are on-going. Depending on the event, games are streamed on Twitch, YouTube, or other video-hosting sites.

We've already seen a flood of NBA players take to Twitch while the basketball season is on hiatus, why not join them — but have some money on the line while doing so?

Futures Betting

A sports-less world won't be permanent. Eventually, sports will resume — for everyone's sake, we hope that's sooner rather than later.

When they do in fact return, championships will still need to be decided in the NBA and UEFA Champions League. Many books have future odds available for those sports, along with unaffected leagues like the NFL and NCAA football. If you're willing to play the long game, hitting on these bets can be extremely lucrative.

Futures betting isn't just limited to sports, however. It is an election year in the United States, after all, and the presidential nominee is a must-bet event. Here's who Bovada is currently giving the best odds to win the 2020 US president election:

Joe Biden (-105)
Donald Trump (EVEN)
Bernie Sanders (+3000)

We have a strong feeling that the Coronavirus will weigh heavily in the mind of voters come to November, specifically Trump's response to the pandemic. We're not here to get political, but did Trump win or lose himself more votes coming out of this? The answer could very well dictate who wins this futures bet.

See? Not all hope is lost — the main keyword being all. This crisis will eventually pass. But in the meantime, there is still room to wager and have some semblance of fun, while staying safe inside, no less.

The sportsbook list below has several betting options to do just that. Creating an account at any one of them (and earning that sign-up bonus we talked about earlier) is quick and easy. Just deposit money and voila, you have extra free play to use during this betting shortage!