With the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games on this month, I thought I’d survey the betting options for the event.
It’s always worth looking into non-mainstream betting events, because while you’ll be new to it, so will be the bookmakers! A classic example is Miss World/Universe pageants. There’s often a huge disparity in odds around the world, with no one really knowing what the true probabilities are. It’s in these circumstances that good value can be found. That is, if you’re willing to put the effort in and do the research. Remember, bookmakers provide odds (and often live odds as well) for many sports. All you have to do is be a specialist in one. While the Commonwealth Games features events that bookmakers will have experience in thanks to the Olympics, the level of play will be at a lower level in those events that are usually dominated by non-Commonwealth countries. This can make setting odds a bit more tricky.
Below are some of the offerings by each bookmaker at the time of writing. Obviously, the offerings will change as the Games progress, but this is to give you an idea of which bookmakers are providing the most betting markets.
Bet 365
I couldn’t find anything
Betfair
Archery, netball, swimming, weightlifting, hockey. Note that some of these markets are very thinly traded.
Canbet
I couldn’t find anything
Centrebet
Field hockey, netball, swimming, tennis
IASbet
I couldn’t find anything
Luxbet
Field hockey, netball, swimming
Pinnacle Sports
I couldn’t find anything
Sportingbet
Field hockey, netball, swimming, rugby sevens
Sports Alive
Netball, tennis, field hockey, rugby sevens, swimming. They also list events by date. So you can view all sporting markets for tomorrow, for example.
Sportsbet
Artistic gymnastics, field hockey, netball, rugby sevens, swimming
TAB Sportsbet
Hockey, netball, swimming
William Hill
I couldn’t find anything
All in all, the international bookmakers seem reluctant to step out of their comfort zone and offer Commonwealth Games betting, which is disappointing. I’m also underwhelmed by the local content. At the time of writing, I couldn’t find any medals tally markets. I would have fancied some handicap betting on this. Perhaps over the next week or so the offerings will improve.