Betting On The Olympic Games
The Olympic Games present a special opportunity for sports bettors. Since the games are only around every four years, they’re a unique betting option that gamblers don’t have every day.
The 2022 Winter Olympics will take place in Beijing from Feb. 4 to Feb. 20. Thankfully, the Indiana Gaming Commission is letting sportsbooks offer odds and promotions on many of the events. This will be the first set of Winter Olympic Games that Hoosiers can bet on.
However, there are some betting restrictions that fans should know about. We’ve got the full breakdown of Olympic betting in Indiana below.
Top Online Sportsbooks for Olympics Betting
Bet on the Winter Olympics in Indiana
Hoosiers will have 11 different betting options to pick from for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Online sportsbooks can offer odds on any of the following events:
- Alpine Skiing
- Biathlon
- Bobsled
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Curling
- Ice Hockey
- Luge
- Nordic Combined
- Short Track Speed Skating
- Skeleton
- Speed Skating
That Olympics list isn’t as exhaustive compared to its summer counterpart, but there will still be plenty of other types of bets available for gamblers.
For example, betting on the medal counts of individual countries will be a popular option across the state’s sportsbooks. That rings especially true for the Beijing Olympics, since many of the events will be taking place while Hoosiers are asleep.
Medal counts are a type of wager that you can make without needing to tune in to a specific live event. That certainly brings its own type of appeal for 2022.
Olympics “specials” like these allow betting apps to expand the field of gambling options outside of the individual matches taking place. Be on the lookout for other specialized offers out there from your favorite sportsbook.
2022 Beijing Olympics FAQ
When are the Summer Olympics taking place?
The opening ceremony for the Beijing games is on Feb. 4. The events will run until Feb. 20.
How can I watch the Summer Olympics?
NBC has the broadcasting rights for the Olympic Games. You can watch NBC live on cable, or through a streaming service like Peacock or Hulu Live.
What time are the Olympic Games?
We’re operating on Beijing time for this edition of the games, which makes for an odd TV schedule in the US. Most of the events are taking place throughout the night for US viewers.
Will the Olympics have fans this year?
Yes, the Beijing Olympics will have a limited number of fans attending the action. However, tickets are not available for the public and only “selected” spectators will be there.
Summer Olympics betting in Indiana
If you can bet on it throughout the normal yearly sports calendar, then you can probably bet on it at the Summer Olympics.
That puts the major sports on the table for wagering. Hoosiers can use sportsbooks in Indiana to find 2024 Olympic odds and bet on all of the following events:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Basketball 3v3
- Golf
- Handball
- Rugby
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Track and Field Events
- Volleyball (includes Beach Volleyball)
- Water Polo
- Field Hockey
- BMX Racing
- Fencing
- Rowing
- Badminton
- Boxing
- Diving
- Modern Pentathlon
- Triathlon
- Weightlifting
Baseball and softball made their returns for the 2021 games. Both sports had been on the outside looking in since the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
3v3 basketball was a brand-new Olympic sport in 2021. The rules are meant to produce a faster-paced game since 3v3 takes place entirely in the half court.
However, don’t expect to see NBA players on the rosters. The best-of-the-best will be focusing on their regular 12-man national teams.
No Olympic gymnastics betting
Here’s where we get to the betting restrictions.
You might notice that the above list of betting options only has 24 sports on it, despite there being 33 different Summer Olympic sports. That’s because Indiana, like many other states, does not allow gambling on the full slate of Olympic action.
For example, gymnastics is one of the most popular Olympic sports out there. Despite that popularity, you can’t bet on Olympic gymnastics in Indiana.
That’s because the sport uses judges to determine the winner. Since judging is subjective, that takes gymnastics and other sports like it off the board for legal gambling.
It’s different from a sport like soccer that has an objective score deciding the winner. NBA bettors will be familiar with this predicament.
You can bet on all of NBA All-Star Weekend’s events except for the dunk contest, which uses judges to determine a winner. Regardless of the limitations, Olympic gamblers still have plenty of options to pick from.