Is Betting on Euro Hockey Popular?

hockey sports betting cover

A new avalanche of both sports betting apps and online bookies are being unveiled with increasing regularity. This clearly indicates that the gambling industry, per se, has a real hunger for a more diverse sports betting catalogue. Coincidence or not, greater media coverage of ice and field hockey has fed right into the mix. This is all fantastic news for hockey fans worldwide, especially in Europe as the rush for TV rights and sponsorship hots up. The knock-on effect of interest from the sports betting arena is enabling the hockey family to develop its profile, and in tandem, brings a wider audience and potential growth with it.

As with horse racing – for analogy purposes only – studying the form books and staying abreast with all of the competitions is the best strategy of ascertaining any possible edge over the bookmaker. Whatever your thoughts are on the morality of gambling, it will have an undeniably positive effect on the sport. Understanding all about your preferred game of hockey, and knowing the league inside out, is an extraordinarily rewarding pastime anyway.

A considerable part of the vitality in being a fan in any sport is the debate prior to the match – these deliberations, as we know, can last centuries – and subsequent predictions about several elements of the game, all of which are indeterminate.

The phrase, “put your money where your mouth is” may well be responsible for the rise of sports betting’s popularity, but fascinatingly, a survey conducted by the Gambling Commission UK revealed that a high proportion of sports fans would place a bet if it was easier to do so.

Needless to say, the gambling industry has responded, and now provide the option of placing a single bet or a combination of bets via your smartphone, so whether you’re watching at the venue or loafing about at home, it couldn’t be easier.

Predictive gambling’s popularity is poised to rapidly increase with greater media coverage and the launch of new sports betting apps.

The way ice hockey is set up lends itself to long odds in predicting the possible outcomes, which makes it a bookmaker’s paradise, and is a ripe proposition for exploitation by the gambling industry. The typical roster for each team is 20 players with 5 skaters and one net keeper on the ice at any one time. What makes this particularly interesting is each coach can make an unlimited amount of substitutions during the game.

The odds – pun intended – for the hockey families’ further expansion are, in general, looking pretty healthy. However, the favourite to win all the way round will undoubtedly be the gambling industry, but this doesn’t mean the celebration of the growth of hockey should be a stilted one. The sport as a whole, and especially the fans, will have a lot to gain with the additional income, and you don’t have to gamble if you don’t want to.