Paralympics

Estimated reading time: 24 minutes

The Paralympics are now the traditional dessert of the Olympics. Where the regular games guarantee all kinds of betting and chances to win, the same is true for the Paralympics.

Like other sports that are less high-profile, the events at the Paralympics also offer opportunities for punters. By gathering the right information, betting on the Paralympics can be very lucrative.

Even though the summer Paralympics have been around since the 1960’s (Rome), it has only recently been picking up in popularity. It wasn’t until 2012 when the betting community made a serious turn towards the Paralympics when it was hosted in London. And it picked up steam at the Rio Paralympics in 2016.

Compared to the regular Olympics, the betting volume in 2016 has been roughly 7,5%. So there is still a lot of potential for players. And a lot of potential for the Paris Paralympics of 2024 that have just begun!

Paralympic Games history

Although the Summer Paralympic Games have been around since the 1960s, they have only recently become really popular. It was only in 2012 that the gambling community picked up the Paralympic Games.

That edition was organised in London. In 2016, betting picked up steam during the Rio Paralympics. Compared to the Olympics, betting volume in 2016 was about 7.5%.

The fact that 2012 was the first successful Paralympic Games in terms of public attention has everything to do with media coverage. Now that the event is getting the attention it deserves, the demand for betting is also increasing.

Mobile Wins Sports is working hard to include the event in their portfolio. It is time to make sports betting as inclusive as sport itself. Technically, however, there are still some hurdles to overcome.

Distinction in categories

Why did 2012 mark the first successful Paralympics in terms of public attention? It has everything to do with the increase in media coverage. With the event getting the attention it deserves, the request for betting on the event increases.

Which is why we at Mobile Wins Sports are working hard to incorporate the event into our portfolio. It is time to make sports betting as inclusive as sports itself.

Just like the Olympics, where you have weight categories, for example, the Paralympics also have categories of disability. These categories are obviously set up differently.

Like the Olympics, where there can be certain weight categories, the Paralympics work with categories of disabilities. These categories include impaired passive range of movement, intellectual impairment, impaired muscle power, vision impairment, leg length difference, athetosis, limb deficiency, ataxia, hypertonia, and short stature.

How to bet on the Paralympics

Betting on the Paralympics is most like betting on the Olympics. You can bet on medal wins only or on each event separately. So, for example, on the quarter-finals of the 100m hurdles.

You can bet at any stage of the tournament. For each event and sport, it is possible to choose the winner and often also determine the margin of victory.

Keep in mind that each sport has its own development during the Paralympics. Thus, it is important to be aware of the schedule of qualifiers for finals. Something else you can bet on is athletes breaking Paralympic or even world records in their discipline.

Understanding Paralympics Betting

There is a lot of similarity with betting on the Olympics. There is the possibility to bet win-only or each-way on a variety of different sports. You can bet at any stage of the tournament. Going for an early outright winner bet or betting on the outcome of a single heat.

Do note that every sport has its own development during the Paralympics. Knowing the qualification to the final for a sport is essential.

Another thing to bet on: athletes breaking Paralympic- or even world records in their discipline. The difference between Olympics and Paralympics is that the latter is struggling more to keep the playing field even. Hence the categories.

This has caused controversies about ‘cheating’ in the past. But this is no reason to stop promoting the sports as well as the betting opportunities.

Some sports have a diverse number of events. So athletes in all those categories get a chance to participate. In other sports, the categories are already in the sport. Blind football and wheelchair basketball are examples of sports that clearly belong to one type of disability.

Big difference betting Paralympics vs Olympics

The difference between Olympics and Paralympics is that the latter struggles more to keep the playing field level. Hence the categories. In the past, this led to controversies about whether or not cheating occurred. Of course, this should not be an excuse for not continuing to promote the sport and betting options!

In total, there are thus six categories in which, in turn, competitions are organised by sport:

• Athletes with an amputation, again differentiating by the number of amputations. Perhaps the best-known paralympic athlete of recent years, Marlou van Rhijn, ran in T43 and T44, for example. Categories indicating that athletes have two or one prosthesis, respectively.
• Athletes with brain damage, which means players have less muscle control. For example, this refers to someone who has had a brain haemorrhage, not an intellectual disability.
• Athletes in wheelchairs.
• Athletes with (only) a visual impairment.
• Athletes with an intellectual disability.
• Athletes with disabilities that do not fit well into any of the above categories.

There are interesting disciplines for everyone

During the Paris Paralympics 2024 there are 22 sports you can choose from to bet on. Just go and cherry pick your favourites from the following list:

Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Canoe, Cycling, Equestrian, Football 5-a-side, goalball, judo, rowing, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, Taekwondo, triathlon, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair tennis.

Not all of these events may be available for betting yet, as it is a matter of demand and supply which sports are integrated first.

Grow into the tournament

The Paralympics are a great event with a lot of great memorable sports moments. As a spectator you will grow in the tournament, learning about the athletes that did not often get their moment in the spotlights. Betting comes naturally as the tournament unfolds.

Admittingly, there are not many expert tipsters on the Paralympics. You are mostly on your own. That makes this event quite unique in the world of betting and it gives opportunities, opportunities to become a Paralympic expert tipster of your own!

Live betting and ordinary betting

Apart from regular betting, many bookmakers also offer live betting. With these, you bet even after the match has already started. Ideal if you are looking for an interesting bet at any time. Or if you want to wait and see how the first few minutes go.

During the Paralympics, events are organised almost every day. As a result, betting on the Paralympics offers all kinds of outside opportunities for a fortnight. Also, placing sports bets on the Paralympics is a good chance to get acquainted with new sports.

Different sports to bet on at the Paralympics

For the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, the same 22 sports are on offer as in Tokyo. In which the same number of events and athletes are also being targeted.

This is good news for you as a sports betting fan. After all, many of the same athletes and events will return. With more information, of course, you increase your odds.

Most popular sports at the Paralympics

Not all sports get the same attention, but some sports are actually not to be missed. The most popular sports are offered by the bookmakers. So at least you can count on these sports and events.

Blind football is played on a smaller pitch. With four field players, a goalkeeper (who can see) and a ball that makes noise. The big footballing countries like Brazil, Argentina and Spain also make the most impression here.

Brazil has won all the gold medals so far. So a bet on gold in 2024 is very likely to be a worthwhile bet. Although, of course, the odds will be modest. A more exciting bet is the second spot, which has gone to China and Iran in the past.

Swimming is another accessible sport, although the classifications vary much more here.

There are almost 150 different events. Where distances and types of restriction provide the differences.

There are 10 different classifications. Ranging from paralysed athletes normally in wheelchairs to swimmers with visual impairments.

Paralympic basketball differs from regular basketball by the use of wheelchairs. Otherwise, wheelchair basketball differs little from ordinary basketball.

However, the players’ positions are particularly strategic: the design of the wheelchair always differs for each position. This makes wheelchair basketball an accessible sport at the Paralympics.

Four categories are distinguished in cycling, each with its own distances:

• Tandem cycling: for athletes with a visual impairment, where a companion (who can see) rides along.
• Handbikes: for athletes with no or limited use of their legs.
• Tricycles: for athletes with disabilities that cause uncontrolled movements.
• Ordinary bicycles

A unique feature of cycling at the Paralympics is that some categories ride mixed. This means that a tricycle and a hand bike can participate in the same competition. Although results are kept by category.

Wheelchair rugby is exactly as rugged as the title suggests. Unlike wheelchair basketball, teams here are mixed. Although the ladies are definitely in the minority (although they are not inferior to the men).

Those curious to see what a contact sport looks like in wheelchairs will find wheelchair rugby to their liking.

The playing field resembles a basketball court, in which two teams of four players try to reach the other side. Unlike regular rugby, passing forward is allowed here.

Apart from betting on wheelchair rugby, this is also a Paralympic sport that is well worth watching.

Tennis at the Paralympics is one of the best-known sports. There are six events. Since the introduction of wheelchair tennis at the Paralympic Games.

A very interesting category for betting on the Paralympics is horse riding.

During the Paralympics, you can often marvel at the willpower of athletes. With table tennis perhaps standing out the most.

With athletes with all kinds of disabilities competing, table tennis is an ode to the Paralympic idea.

As with the regular games, athletics is another long list of events. 168 to be exact. Which makes for just slightly more athletics events than swimming events.

Fans of athletics therefore always have an event to bet (live) on.

Unique sports at the Paralympics

Three sports that incidentally only appear at the Paralympic Games are: boccia, goalball and bench press. Boccia is a variant of boules played with wheelchair athletes. Goalball is a sport in which teams of three visually impaired players try to throw a ball underhand into the opponent’s goal.

If curling is a crowd favourite (even at the Paralympic Winter Games), boccia should be at the Summer Games.

After all, it is almost the same sport: getting balls as close to the goal as possible and possibly making sure the opponent is no closer.

At the Paralympic Games, boccia is mainly played by athletes with cerebral palsy.

All participants are in wheelchairs and have different ways of achieving the precision that is important here for medals.

Goalball is a sport as simple as it is spectacular. The playing field has spot two teams of three players, with each team defending a goal that occupies the width of the entire back line.

All players are visually impaired and wear eye coverings. Because the ball is filled with bells, players rely on their hearing.

By (spectacularly) throwing the ball underhand to the other side, teams try to score a goal. Goalball lends itself perfectly to live stakes.

Bench pressing is indeed a unique sport, but clearly derived from the regular weightlifting offered by the regular summer games.

There is little need to explain about bench pressing: it is all about who manages to bench press the most weight.

Tips for betting on the Paralympics

As with all forms of sports betting, it helps when betting on the Paralympics to gather information and apply it to betting. There are also a few tips specific to this competition.

• Target certain athletes. In swimming alone, there are almost 150 different categories. Because athletes are often divided into different categories, it is overwhelming to keep track of the entire sport.
• Compare teams from past years. To get a better idea of each team’s chances, you can also look at the past edition of the Paralympics. Although there is natural turnover in athletes, the turnover is smaller than in the regular sports world. A basketball player in his late 30s is no exception.
• See which countries specialise. Supervising a Paralympic team is often quite a logistical challenge. The moment a sport has expertise, results will often follow.
• Watch highlights and matches from previous years. It is easier to bet on a football match because football is already part of UK culture. For many of these sports, it is good to look up highlights and statistics from previous years to have more context when placing bets.
• Compare bookmakers. By picking the best bookmakers for betting on the Paralympics, you will make the most of this event. The offers and odds can vary enormously from one bookmaker to another, including live betting.
  
  Mobile Wins Sports have special promotions around an event or offer free sports betting if you create a new account. Betting on the Paralympics is a great reason to take advantage of such a welcome bonus.