Sports betting is a year-round activity across the globe, but even the most rapid fan bases have an off-season. Just like you keep an eye on worldwide holidays, it’s important that sports betting affiliates keep an eye on the ebb and flow of worldwide sporting seasons.
To help keep you on track, here’s a rundown of the high, and low, points of the wide, wide world of sports.
United States of America
Even though baseball is the all-American pastime, it’s football that everyone is watching and wagering on. Though there are a few other big betting periods football accounts for the lion’s share of US sports betting.
- NFL Preseason – August 4- August 29
- NFL Regular Season – September 5 – December 29
- Super Bowl XLVII – February 2
- College Football Regular Season – August 29 – December 14
- College Football Bowl Season – December 21-January 5
- BCS Championship Game – January 6
- NCAA Tournament – March 18-April 7
United Kingdom/Ireland
Football, particularly Premier League football, is king in the UK but it’s not the only game in town. UK residents love wagering on all kinds of sports and are especially keen on tennis. Here’s the big days on the UK sporting calendar.
- Premier League Football – August 17-May 11
- Premiership Rugby 7’s – August 17-18
- Horse Racing Festivals – Year round.
- Wimbledon (2014) – June 23-July 6
India
With a population of around 1.2 billion people; a rapidly expanding middle class; and plenty of newly minted smart phone owners, India is fertile ground for sports betting affiliates. Not only do Indians love sports betting, large numbers of them speak fluent English.
Sports betting affiliates will also have no problem finding operators who market to Indians and accept deposits in Indian Rupee.
If you’re looking to maximize your Indian efforts, you’ll put all your money on Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket – the NFL of the cricket world. (Though cricket players play year round on a variety of cricket circuits.)
IPL – Schedule TBA
Canada
Canada is a melting pot country whose citizens follow UK, European and American sports with equal vigor. Of course Canada’s home grown version of football is the fast-paced Canadian Football League (CFL).
- CFL 2013 – June 12-November 2
- 101st Grey Cup Championship – Sunday November 24
Europe
On the Continent, football rules the roost with more domestic and intercontinental leagues than you can count. Besides the beautiful game, Europeans are fond of tennis and motor sport wagering whether it’s a holiday or just any given Sunday.
- FIFA World Cup Qualifiers – (ongoing); FIFA World Cup runs June 12-July 13 in Brazil.
- 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans – June 14-15
- 2014 Monaco Grand Prix – May 22-24
- Champions League Football – June 24, 2013-May 24, 2014
Australia/New Zealand
Aussie and Kiwi punters have put plenty of sports betting affiliates’ kids through college and are some of the most voracious, and reliable, players on the planet. Their special loves are rugby; its Down Under cousin, Australia Rules Football; and cricket.
In New Zealand, rugby is the top dog and the All-Blacks are the undisputed alphas in that pack.
- Australia Football League – March 22-September 28
- Cricket Australia Fixtures – Ongoing
- New Zealand All-Blacks Rugby – 2014 to be announced.
Finally
No matter what worldwide holidays are happening, you can rest assured that somewhere on the planet there’s a sporting event happening. And wherever you find a sporting event, you’ll always find someone willing to place a wager on it.