COVID-19 Concerns Drive Nearly All Sporting Events To A Complete Halt

Sports leagues across the country have been on a roller coaster ride in the past 24 hours.

Usually, March is when basketball takes center stage, but this year might be different.

Due to worries regarding the spread of COVID-19, numerous sports leagues have been compelled to cease operations.

Many sports leagues have completely canceled events, while some are proceeding without spectators.

What has been cancelled up to this point?

The NCAA has witnessed numerous cancellations amidst the ongoing March basketball season.

Here’s an overview of what has been removed:

• Big Ten Tournament
• Big 12 Tournament
• Big West Tournament
• Big East Tournament
• Pac-12 Tournament
• SEC Tournament
• ACC Tournament
• AAC Tournament
• Conference USA Tournament
• Ivy League Tournament
• MAC Tournament
• MAEC Tournament

On late Thursday afternoon, the NCAA also decided to cancel not just March Madness, but also the remaining winter and spring sports championships.

Initially, the NCAA Tournament hoped to proceed without any fans present. However, it is now completely shutting down, following the trend.

Professional sports have also been impacted. Here’s how the professional sports leagues are managing the situation.

• NBA: Season suspended indefinitely
• NHL: Season suspended indefinitely
• MLS: Season suspended indefinitely
• MLB: Season suspended indefinitely
• UEFA: Champions League suspended

What does this imply for sports betting in Indiana?

Due to numerous sports cancellations, Indiana’s handle could potentially decrease.

The Hoosier State has just set a new record in February for the amount bet.

Those numbers were driven by basketball betting, but with numerous games now canceled, March probably won’t be as profitable. It was anticipated that March Madness would generate millions of dollars in bets.

Despite the situation not being exclusive to Indiana, it still comes as a letdown for both operators and fans.

With professional and collegiate sports currently suspended, gamblers will not have as many betting options as they anticipated for this month.

Indiana's sportsbooks respond

People are being encouraged to stay at home as much as possible and to steer clear of crowded places. This could potentially lead to a decline in the number of physical visitors to casinos. However, for the time being, BetMGM continues to accept in-person bets.

The sportsbook is also providing refunds to bettors who wagered on now-canceled games. DraftKings has mirrored this action for called-off NBA games.

It is likely that this will become the standard for all other sportsbooks in Indiana.

As more people stay at home, many Hoosiers will naturally transition to online betting.

Much like NASCAR, other events like the PGA Tour have not been cancelled but will continue without the presence of spectators.

Meanwhile, that provides sports enthusiasts with something to wager on. However, compared to yesterday, the choices are quite restricted.

Upcoming events to watch out for

Even though the NFL Draft isn’t happening for a while, its occurrence is still uncertain.

Concerns about the coronavirus have led the Giants and Jets to withdraw their scouts and coaches from travelling. As more teams follow suit, conducting the draft will become increasingly challenging.

However, there is still time for the situation to improve since the draft isn’t until April 23.

Another upcoming event to keep an eye on is the Indianapolis 500, scheduled for May 24.

The race has experienced a declining trend in its attendance annually. With around 300,000 spectators attracted each year, running the race without an audience would undeniably be a significant setback for the Motor Speedway. However, the possibility of completely canceling the race is also not ruled out.

Roger Penske, the speedway owner, said he’s taking things one day at a time, even though the race is still a long way off.