In a few days, the 2020 Cheltenham Festival will mark the start of a stretch of popular sports betting events taking place across the course of the year. The Grand National will follow not long after, and this summer will see both quadrennial events UEFA Euro 2020 and Summer Olympics.
A year like this has a huge impact on the industry, and many are looking to benefit from it. One notable example is affiliate Leadstar Media, which hold great hopes for the coming year ahead.
- As an international affiliate, we are really looking forward to this year, as it includes big events for all our websites. From the IPL in India, Cheltenham and the Grand National in the UK, to the Euros and Olympics in the summer, says Eskil Kvarnström, Founder & CEO at Leadstar Media.
Although Leadstar Media covers a lot of markets, this is especially the case for UK site Bookiesbonuses.com. As an English language, it currently attracts a substantial amount of international interest.
- Even though the main area of focus for Bookiesbonuses.com is geared towards the UK market, we also attract a considerable amount of users from other countries as we provide a product that many consider useful for their betting needs, says Eskil.
- We have Indian sites that will get a big boost during the IPL, for example. But this is also the case for Bookiesbonuses.com, where we have a steady stream of Indian users.
The main sports betting event of the year is, of course, UEFA Euro 2020, a tournament that will see England and Wales taking part. However, we’re still waiting to see if Scotland, as well as Ireland or Northern Ireland (who face off against one another), can join the party through qualification from the playoffs.
For the sports betting industry, this would, of course, be the best possible outcome, as the fans betting on football across these countries are generally quite enthusiastic punters.
- Of course, we would be very happy to get the likes of Ireland and Scotland qualifying, but we are very happy with the outcome of the qualifiers already. Several countries where we already have a stake in the market, such as Sweden, Germany, and Spain, have since qualified for the competition, says Eskil.
Let’s not forget this year’s Summer Olympics either. Although it does not bear as much weight as the UEFA Euro 2020, it brings more attention to a normally quiet July month with many affiliates already seeking to prepare for it.
- Our current plan is not to make a specifically concerted effort for the Summer Olympics. We have some things to implement but are confident that our products can stand for themselves with only a number of incremental changes, continues Eskil.
- One sport that will be very interesting to see the interest of is women’s football. The Olympics is historically considered the biggest event within women’s football, and the sport has seen an enormous spike in interest over the past couple of years, says Eskil.
With an increasing number of states seeking to legalize sports betting in the USA, even with an impending presidential election, 2020 is already becoming a year to relish for the entire betting industry/for the betting industry as a whole.
