VAR’s Positive Impact on Football Betting in Tanzania

Football and sports betting are huge businesses across the African continent, where perceived fairness is of paramount importance to maintain the game's high standing within support bases and the betting fraternity.

Coming on the heels of its successful integration into the footballing culture from leagues around the world, Tanzania will now incorporate Video Assistant Refereeing (VAR) into its domestic leagues. 

This decision is aimed at aligning these local leagues with international standards, reducing the number of officiating mistakes, enhancing match outcomes and elevating African football’s standing on the international stage - a significant advancement for the game across the continent. 

What Is VAR and Why Is It Necessary? 

VAR stands for “Video Assistant Referee”. A team of three people work together to review decisions made by the match referee. They do this by watching video replay footage of relevant incidents. The team is made up of the main video assistant referee, who is typically a current or former professional, his assistant, and a replay operator. They are located in a video surveillance booth with monitors showing a selection of camera angles.

VAR can be used to review four types of decisions: goals and the violations that precede them, such as offside, red cards, penalty shootouts, and mistaken identity when awarding a card. In some cases, a decision made by the match referee can be overturned, but only if it is a “clear error.”

Typically, the process for reviewing a decision works in one of two ways: either the VAR team can recommend a review, or the match referee can request a review after making a decision. In the former situation, if the VAR decides that a clear error has been made, he will then notify the match referee.

Once this has happened, the referee has three options: 

• He can immediately overturn the decision based on the VAR’s advice.
• Stick with his initial decision.
• Review the incident on a monitor at the side of the pitch.

VAR decisions have been controversial and even led to isolated incidents on the field of play, but overall, it has been a positive integration into the adjudication process of the game wherever it has been utilised. 

VAR’s Impact on Sports Betting

VAR has greatly impacted the world of sports betting and has certainly boosted viewer interest.

Its ability to correct mistakes during pivotal moments, while also providing up-to-date information, has improved the accuracy and fairness of odds calculation, reduced uncertainty in live and in-play betting, and increased confidence in the betting market. 

VAR has even resulted in a new in-game bet type at sportsbooks: ‘Will there be a VAR decision?’

While there have been challenges with implementation, the increased credibility of sports results and legitimacy of gambling outcomes on the fields of play where VAR has been utilised make it a worthwhile investment.

Africa, and especially Tanzania, are making progress with the implementation of this crucial officiating tool, and VAR will surely contribute to transparency and increase betting confidence once fully integrated into the Tanzanian footballing scene. 

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