Are You Ready to Return to Sports Betting? 10 Tips for Getting Back in Gear

COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented year in many respects, not least of which has been a near-total break from regular sports around the world.

That means that there is a good chance that you also have taken a break from sports betting during lockdown.

There were still some sports to bet on (particularly table tennis), as well as some other unusual types of wagers available.

But many people opted to wait out the lockdown period without wagering while waiting for more familiar and reliable opportunities to come along.

If that describes you, you are probably excited to jump back into sports betting now that regular sports are resuming their seasons and events have been rescheduled.

But having been out of the swing of things for a while, you might be having a difficult time reestablishing your routine, especially now that so many other things have changed.

1. Know the Current Schedules and be Ready to Keep Up With Changes.

This is the first thing you’ll need to familiarize yourself with – what is ahead with the sports calendar now that everything has been moved?

While some events have been canceled altogether, many others have simply been rescheduled. There are also some seasons which are expected to take place according to their original schedules.

Once you know the new schedules, you can start planning your approach. But one thing you should not forget is that coronavirus isn’t gone, and new lockdowns are being initiated even now around the world.

So, the sports calendar as it exists today may not be the calendar as it exists next month or even next week, depending on what happens with the virus.

For that reason, you should stay on top of scheduling with the sports you follow, making regular checks to see if there have been any more unusual schedule changes or are likely to be on the horizon.

2. Think About How Recent and Current Events Could Impact Play

Next, consider that these scheduling changes as well as the other stresses of our current times have an impact on everyone, athletes and coaches included.

Here are a few things to think about:

• Teams are subject to isolation protocols, and have extensive rules to follow. For example, the athletes in the NBA bubble have to follow health and safety rules from a 113-page memo. They are separated from their families, and some of the rules they need to follow are confusing. Although they may be privileged compared to most folks, they still feel stressed under these circumstances just as anyone else would.
• Scheduling is crazy intense in some cases, and will push teams to their limits in terms of fatigue.
• Routines are all messed up. That means that practices may not be as effective as usual. It also means that preparation and aftercare may be rushed or disrupted. These issues can have both physical and psychological effects on athletes, compromising their performance.
• Team members and staff may come down with COVID-19. Another possible way in which coronavirus could impact sports over the months ahead is directly by infecting athletes, coaches, and others.
• We could see more injuries than is typical. Changes in practice and training routines as well as reduced aftercare in some situations could make athletes more susceptible to injuries than usual.

So, those are just a few things to think about when you are wagering on sports now that the seasons are kicking off again.

You may need to make some adjustments to how you usually strategize. There are additional factors to consider when you conduct analysis to make predictions.

3. Assess Your Finances With Care to Establish Your Bankroll and Stake Sizes



There’s no shame in it. Thanks to Corona, most of us will have to wager smaller amounts for a bit.

The next thing that you should think about in-depth when you are getting back into betting on sports at this time is your bankroll.

If you have been relatively unaffected by the coronavirus, you may not need to wager less than your usual amount.

But if you have faced some financial difficulties because of COVID-19, or are concerned that you might in the future, you may want to reduce your bankroll a little bit as well as your wager sizes, at least for now.

4. Plan a New Schedule for Sports Betting if Needed

Just as there may be some changes to your finances at this time, you may also be facing changes in your daily routines.

Your work schedule could be different than it used to be, and you might also be juggling other priorities which you did not have in the past.

At the same time, some of your old habits may have fallen away as activities you used to engage in have become unavailable.

All told, you may have more or less or the same amount of time for sports betting that you were able to dedicate in the past.

What is important is to figure out how much time you can realistically spend on sports betting going forward, and to come up with a new routine which fits with your current obligations.

5. Consider Betting on Paper for a Little While First

Since you may have been missing out on financial opportunities for some time now, you may be eager to start wagering real money on sports again as soon as possible.

But alas, you might want to hold back, at least reducing your wagers to less than you would normally stake for a few bets. And if you feel patient, you could just make those bets on paper.

Why do this? Because however carefully you think through the possible ramifications of everything going on right now, it’s still pretty hard to figure out how it’s all going to play out in real life.

You might be surprised by the outcomes of some of the upcoming matches which you are trying to predict.

For that reason, it could pay off to be conservative with your bankroll to start with to get a better grasp on how some of the factors we talked about (as well as those we did not address) could impact athletic performance, team dynamics and more.

Once you feel more confident, you can start making wagers which are more in line with what you typically would.

6. Take Note of Your Stress Levels and Mood and How They Influence Your Bets



If you find yourself stressing out, take a break! It only benefits you!

Another factor to consider when you are getting back into betting at this time is your psychological state, particularly with respect to your emotions.

Most people right now are experiencing higher levels of stress than they are used to, even if coronavirus has not yet impacted them directly.

In fact, this background stress can be rather sneaky, and you might not be aware of exactly how stressed you are until you stop to think about it.

Of course, if you have run into health or financial challenges yourself during this crisis, you already know that you are in a state of high stress, and potentially high anxiety.

Stress can take a toll on your cognitive performance, and may make you more prone to fatigue as well as mistakes.

It can also take a toll on your physical health, making you feel run down and less functional than usual.

As for anxiety, it may lead you to be more risk-averse than usual.

On the other hand, if you need money, anxiety could push you to be bolder than normal and wager more than is appropriate.

Have you been noticing that you are less interested or motivated than usual with respect to sports betting?

If so, that could be a sign that you are experiencing depression.

Here are some suggestions for dealing with some of these emotional challenges as you return to wagering:

• If you are more stressed than usual, try not to push yourself too hard. If you do, you could find yourself under performing or even burning out.
• If you are anxious, make sure that you are not making fear-driven betting decisions. Try and make the same decisions you would have during a time when your anxiety was less.
• If depression is sapping your motivation, either do something else for a while to freshen your perspective or simply continue to engage with sports betting and your other interests as best you can. You can choose to continue caring about something even if you are not feeling it.
• Watch out for the possibility of going on tilt on bad days.

7. Has Your General Outlook Changed? That Too Could Alter How You Wager

Along with the emotional factors above, you might also want to consider more cerebral changes in your outlook.

Whether you are generally an optimistic or pessimistic person, there is a good chance that these days, you are feeling more pessimistic than usual.

This goes beyond being an emotional issue, because it could be somewhat rational or entirely rational, depending on the contents of your thoughts and the reasons for them.

Nevertheless, even a rational adjustment of your worldview could cause you to make irrational adjustments to the way that you wager.

Of course, the opposite could happen too. You could find that the experiences of 2020 having brought you down to earth could actually be beneficial.

Whatever the case may be, the most important thing is to be aware of the changes in your outlook and to be mindful of how they are influencing you.

8. Be On The Lookout for Awesome Bonus Offers

Sports betting sites this year were forced to take a break just like their customers. Although they still offered opportunities, they saw a significant drop in business during the lockdown.

Now, they are eager for business to pick back up again—and that works to your advantage, since that means huge bonuses, free bets, and other exciting promotions!

So, this is a good time to think about signing up on more sports betting sites. By doing so, you can grab those big promotions while they are around.

9. Make Sure Your Work Environment Supports Your Betting



Maybe you cannot go “all out” like this, just make sure that you do what you can!

One of the many changes which you may be dealing with during this time is the environment that you live and work in each day.

There may be more chaos in your environment than usual, for example because of situations like:

• Relatives or friends may be staying with you for reasons involving health or employment issues.
• People are working at home who usually would be working at an office (that could be you, or it could be your spouse or other family member).
• Your kids may not be going back to school in the fall, as you may have decided to start home schooling them.
• Your environment could simply be more erratic and stressful than usual, as you may be having a hard time keeping up with everything.

So, you should take some time to ready your betting space before you start wagering again.

Does someone share your home office now? You might need to have that person relocate to another part of the home when you are betting, or you might need to do that.

If your environment is more cluttered than usual, you may need to clean and tidy it so that it is easier to remain focused on your work and feel like you are in control of your situation.

If there are more people bustling about your house than usual, you may need to let them know that they should not be interrupting you while you are working. Something as simple as putting a sign on the door to your home office could help.

You may also need to remind yourself to avoid distractions on your computer.

Many of us have gotten into the habit of repeatedly checking the news regarding politics or the virus, for example, and that is definitely a distraction you don’t want while you are trying to focus on betting.

10. Ease Back in Slowly and Be Patient.

Picking back up old routines which have fallen by the wayside can be challenging, especially with so many other changes in the intervening time.

It can take time to provide yourself with structure again and to pick back up your usual level of motivation.

It is also possible that other time commitments could make it difficult to fully engage the way you used to.

Don’t be too hard on yourself if this is your situation. Just ease back slowly into your betting routines, even if it takes you a while to get back to your previous schedule or something equivalent.

Get Back Into Sports Betting Now!

Depending on your situation, you may find it almost effortless to jump back into sports betting, or it could take some time and patience to build new routines and get back to profiting on your wagers.

Either way, the time is here to bet again on our favorite sports! To find the best promotions and the most competitive odds, check out our sports betting site reviews. Enjoy wagering, stay home and stay safe, and let’s hope that another lock down on sports won’t be necessary.

Let’s make sure you’re ready and have you also take a look at these reads as well!

• The Newbies Guide to Betting on Table Tennis
• What to Know About Sports Betting During Coronavirus
• FAQ – How Much Can You Win by Betting on Sports?
• 7 Misconceptions About Sportsbook Bonuses

Are you totally new to these parts? That’s okay! Why not just start at the beginning!

• How to Bet on Sports Online