For some fans, sports gaming is a big part of their fan experience. It’s also a way for them to feel more connected to the sport and bond with other fans while sharing their love and knowledge about the sport.
With technological innovations, sports fans can now enjoy a better gaming experience. From mobile-first platforms giving them ways to bet anywhere they want to smart analytics that can give them insights for the upcoming match. There are multiple new features that fans can utilize to make better gaming decisions.
So, what innovations are most detrimental to these changes? Let’s take a look behind the closed doors of online sportsbooks and their operations.
The Evolution of Sports Gaming
Sports gaming is one of the older forms of entertainment, dating back to way before the digital era. However, sports gaming had only started to move forward in the 20th century. That was the era when legality for sportsbooks had only started getting its foundation. Then, for decades, sports gaming was an event conducted in person. People can participate directly at racetracks, physical sportsbooks, or visit bookmakers.
The internet then influenced the industry significantly in the late 90s and early 2000s. It caused a major shift because sports supporters no longer have to go in person to place their wagers. It also gave bookmakers more ways to tap into a broader audience. Despite the scale that the internet has brought and helped sportsbooks expand, mobile technologies have caused an even bigger shift.
The Beginning of Mobile Gaming
Smartphones came in the late 2000s. Then, the introduction of mobile apps changed how sportsbooks and fans engage with sports games entirely. Mobile gaming now contributes to a big portion of the sports gaming industry.
It may be the fact of how easy it is for fans to place wagers anytime and anywhere. They no longer have to wait to reach their computers to place their bets. Fan can quickly open their phone while commuting, resting, or spending their free time to bet on NFL games or other sports events. Overall, mobile devices significantly increase sports games accessibility for all sports gaming enthusiasts.
Some sportsbooks, like Sportsbet, ensure fans can load the site on their mobile browser or download an app for better access. Not only do apps make accessing the site easier, but they also often run more smoothly and are better optimized for various screen sizes. The user interface is made more friendly and intuitive to cater to new and advanced gamers.
These apps and mobile-first sportsbooks don’t stop at just enhancing accessibility. Some started adding more and more features, giving innovative ways for fans to engage.
Fans started seeing live in-game where they can place wagers while the match is still ongoing. Some sites also feature live streaming. It allows fans to watch the match unfold as they gather more information to make better gaming decisions.
As social media has become an integral part of sports fan culture, mobile-first sportsbooks have made social features available through their apps and sites. Users can share their bets or keep track of fellow fans’ gaming choices. That way, they can engage with the community and share their love for the game.
Tech Innovations Behind Sports Gaming
The technology behind online sports games goes beyond live streaming and mobile apps. There are some less obvious features that fans might not know. Yet, they’ve been actively influencing how fans can wager on their favorite sports.
Enhanced Security
When a fan engages with sports gaming, security should be their top priority. They’d have to wager using real money, store money in their accounts, and use sensitive data to register an account.
Even in the early days of sports games, security has been one of the biggest issues. After legalization, corporations started to work with bookmakers to improve security and independence. Now, with technology innovations making things easier, sports gaming security has been improved even more.
Security software for mobile gaming apps protects data during transfer to lower the chance of identity theft. With increasing accessibility, demands for sports games grew and invited more bookmakers to offer their services online. The downside is that it makes competition tight among bookmakers.
Having good security measures is a must, as a security breach can be the downfall of the sportsbook. Operators started implementing top-of-the-line security technologies.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) 128-bit encryption is common and is an excellent protection. The encryption accompanies data during transfer. So it can reach its final destination while being protected from malicious attempts.
AI for Oddsmaking
The process of creating odds can be highly complicated. There’s a lot of math involved as bookmakers must calculate a wide range of stats to determine the likely outcome. A skilled bookmaker would consider weather, injuries, home-field advantages, player interactions, and many more when determining odds. In addition, a bookmaker also often implements some gut instinct when finalizing their odds.
This is why odds can vary greatly from sportsbook to sportsbook. This is why AI is a great addition that can assist bookmakers when calculating odds. It can help uniform odds to create a standard that sportsbooks can follow.
AI algorithms will improve the more they’re used. This means the odds that it produces will be better and more accurate over time.
AI implementation in sportsbooks is still in early development, and not all sportsbooks are using it yet. Some gamers might also feel more comfortable in choosing sportsbooks that allow their human touch to remain on their odds.
Personalization and Smart Recommendations
Personalization is a big thing in this era. Outside of mobile gaming, even social media and streaming platforms are focusing on providing personalized content. This goes the same way for sports gaming.
With personalization, gamers will quickly find a selection of games, odds, and gaming options that fit their preferences. The platforms or apps track their previous selection to create the perfect recommendation. Those who have only been gaming on the NFL will get more NFL options. Not only does it allow operators to keep their users engaged, but it also improves the users’ overall gaming experience.
Users will quickly get the events they potentially like without having to put in the effort to search for them. If they’re not into certain sports and have never engaged with them, the platform will automatically show them less. That way, users can focus on the sports they like and won’t have to deal with extra offerings they’re not interested in.
Responsible Gaming Features
Staying responsible is something that sports gaming operators should keep an eye on. Most operators should be aware of how they can facilitate their users to help them stay responsible. Providing features like gaming limits, play time limits, and self-exclusion is the standard. However, tech innovation can contribute to helping operators monitor their users’ behavior.
Gaming platforms or apps can leverage AI to consistently monitor their users' behavior. AI can note and identify alarming game patterns that may lead to problem gaming. That way, operators can proactively address the issues and ensure a safer gaming environment.
Bonuses
For online sports gaming enthusiasts, seeing sportsbooks offering bonuses and promotions is a common thing. However, this is an innovation that only online sportsbooks can offer. These offers didn’t exist during traditional game times.
Behind these bonuses, a tech innovation is handling the process. Once a user creates an account, the sportsbook can ‘track’ the account and give them a bonus that they’ve activated. Then, it tracks the user’s wagering requirements to determine when the user can collect their winnings.
