The experts have no doubt. It’s only a matter of time before in-play betting becomes the dominant force in the US sports wagering scene, accounting for at least 70-80% of total handle.^{i ii}

Anyone can see this is a marketplace that is tailor-made for this activity.

The stop-start nature of US sporting action, with quarterly breaks, time-outs, innings intervals and other stoppages, carves out natural windows for in-play wagers, from micro betting to same-game parlays.

Major growth is on the horizon – and operators need to fine-tune their offering now so they can ride the crest of the upcoming wave.ⁱⁱⁱ

But is your sportsbook ready to take advantage of this land of untapped opportunity for in-play betting?

Many know they are not. But that is where we can step in, with a unique ability to support sportsbooks with solutions that make a real difference.

Our wide-ranging toolkit gives operators the power to optimize integration strategies, drive revenues and, above all, make the most of their live wagering potential.

Our data-driven tech solutions, expertise and capabilities are trusted across the industry.

That is why our official partners include top-tier sports leagues like the NBA, NHL and MLB. ^v

Unrivaled live data

In-play betting relies on the delivery of live data, and we are the industry leader in providing the most accurate, reliable and rapid sports data in real time.

Lightning quick data is available across more than 30 sports including baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, tennis and more. This immense volume spans some 850,000 events per year – far more than any other provider.

With most of the data collected at competition venues, operators have access to the sharpest in-play data on the market.

And the accuracy, speed and reliability of the data is ideal for generating more fan engagement. After all, sports followers – and particularly sports bettors – are lapping up more data than ever before as part of their sporting experience.

Alpha Odds

Our Alpha Odds build on the unrivaled live data by delivering AI-driven bespoke odds for in-play betting, as well as pre-game wagers.

Alpha Odds is a solution that factors in a sportsbook’s specific business info. This may include current and predicted liability, as well as turnover or customer behavior.

This information is then combined with live data and event probability predictions to produce truly tailored odds in real time. The upshot is that operators are able to optimize their odds and maximize potential returns based on industry-leading AI technology.

Live Streaming

The sporting action itself, of course, is the glue that holds together the fan experience. For sports bettors, the importance of live coverage is amplified.

Live sports drive in-play bet stimulation, retention and ultimately loyalty among sportsbook customers. An average of 44% of gamblers will watch more of a sport than usual when they are betting on the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA college football, NCAA college basketball, combat sports, soccer and golf.^vii

The numbers don’t lie; bettors are simply more engaged in live coverage than the average fan.

This appetite is fueled by our live-streaming solutions, such as emBET, which incorporates engaging wagering-related graphic visualizations based on real-time data.

By giving individuals the chance to follow games of interest – and from a single platform, through which they can also place in-play wagers – sportsbooks can ensure visitors stick on their site or app. If they do that, they will place more live bets.

Our portfolio of live sports coverage extends throughout the day, week and year. We offer over 400,000 live events per year. This is over six times more steams than any other supplier in our space and more content than any sportsbook, or punter, could ever wish for.

ad:s Marketing Toolkit

We have witnessed first-hand how marketing strategies are changing in the betting space.

While many operators initially embraced a high cost-per-acquisition strategy to secure US market share, the evolving landscape now demands more cost-effective and sophisticated marketing techniques.^viii

This is where the uniquely powerful Sportradar ad:s marketing toolkit comes in. It is underpinned by the industry’s most comprehensive database of betting behavioral data, as well as proprietary adtech that optimizes customer conversion opportunities.

By leveraging automated tools like Programmatic Display and Publisher Products, this toolkit crafts contextually relevant and personalized betting adverts. These are tailored to individual preferences belonging to highly targeted and engaged audiences.

Much more in 2024

The industry doesn’t stand still, and neither do we.

This year will bring new opportunities to drive in-play betting with exciting new solutions that we are developing and rolling out. For example, look out for augmented streaming, which provides a platform for dynamic odds and wagering opportunities to be immersed in coverage of sports like tennis.

And it’s worth remembering that we have an extensive existing range of tools that support in-play betting, such as Bet Assist, which keeps customers informed by positioning relevant statistics next to live odds to boost retention.

We know that for sportsbooks seeking to strengthen their in-play betting offering in 2024, capacity concerns are understandable. But if you want your sportsbook to make a mark in live wagering, we can remove the heavy lifting.

Dynamic in-play betting experiences will attract and retain customers and give sportsbooks a vital competitive advantage – and we’re ready to work with you to convert this goal into a reality.

[i] ‘In-play betting sweeps the US: How LSports is setting the pace’ (SBC Americas, 2023)
[ii] ‘US sports betting: What will drive future growth?’ (iGaming Business, 2023)
[iii] ‘US sports betting: Is micro betting the sports equivalent of igaming?’ (iGaming Business, 2023)
[v] ‘Sportradar sets sights on €900m revenue after surpassing all 2022 targets’ (SBC News, 2023)
[vii] ‘How Sports Betting Is Improving Engagement With Televised Games’ (Variety, 2022)
[viii] ‘How to control customer acquisition costs in sports betting’ (Sportradar, 2022)