This year, the annual NCAA ‘March Madness’ elimination tournament took place in Indianapolis in a ‘bubble’ environment as a result of the coronavirus crisis, but how did it affect the way that wagers were placed?

Who is it?

Matt Holt, President at US Integrity

Brian Considine, Legal and Legislative Manager at Washington State Gambling Commission

TC Martin, Host of The TC Martin Show

Tim Murray, Host of The Nightcap on VSIN

Robert Walker, Director of Sports Book Operations for USBookmaking

Sports Gambling Education (SGE) is a new sports gambling education curriculum, launched in collaboration by US Integrity and Cyanna Education Services to take imperative steps to ensure the successful maturation of the regulated sports wagering marketplace.

What is being said?

Touching upon the COVID-related protocols in place which restricts access to data, Holt reasoned: “Access is so limited and information is harder to come by but people continue to put more and more prop wagers out there for March Madness.

“People don’t understand how tough it is to go through and make sure each and every one of these props has the right integrity, the right resolution processes and the right availability to get statistics or accurate scoring.”

However, Walker explained how operators saw an upsurge in prop wagers, with companies able to expand their offering as new technology becomes available: “It’s going to get bigger and better. As technology gets here, a year or two years from now, I can’t imagine the kind of props we’ll have. For example, we’ll have who’s going to score next. It’s all timing. You have to have the video that’s not delayed as well. When those things converge, we’ll have more props.”

Murray concurred that the prop market is an ‘opportunity to find an advantage’, particularly within lesser-known divisions and sports leagues: “Something we’ve kept our eye on is NBA prop plays. People love playing NBA prop plays because it’s more of an algorithm and people are looking at runs that players are having.

“The prop market is really fascinating and you’re starting to see more and more. I think knowing how certain players are going and how they’re going up against, it could be an interesting route to go for the NCAA tournament, especially if you’re a big college basketball fan and follow the numbers. People like to keep an eye on these smaller conferences and there’s less information out there.

“What’s positive about the bubble is I think it’s an even playing field for the bookmakers and the players or gamblers.”

Why should I watch it?

To learn about how sports ‘bubble’ environments can affect gambling trends for both the operator and the bettor.

Where can I see more?

Source: SGE YouTube channel