Top 5 Trends in Online Sports Betting for 2018
In 2018, sports betting is as popular as it can get. In the beginning of the summer, we had the opportunity to enjoy the world’s biggest football tournament – the FIFA World Cup 2018, which made France a world champion for the second time.
But football is not all we have been enjoying. According to bookmakers, punters have also shown an interest in tennis and basketball games, box and other combat sports, and they have even become increasingly interested in e-sports, too. On top of all, 2018 saw the inception of sports betting in the US.
As you can see, this year saw a lot of action in terms of development of online betting world. But did we notice the trends that emerged? Read below if you have not.
1. e-Sports gain popularity
2018 proves to be an incredibly successful year fore-Sports. Events organised by game developers come with a bigger-than-ever prize pool, making gamers more willing to take part in tournaments. What is more, new games that are being developed use social media extensively, sprouting a global e-Sports fan base.
What is more, the e-Sports market enjoys a substantial growth in 2018, largely because of investments and the introduction of new technologies. But it is not only gaming fans who indulge in e-Sports. As a matter of fact, e-Sports betting now has its own section at some of the most reputable bookmakers, and betting on competitive gaming is embraced by an increasing amount of punters.
It is Fortnite competitions, among other e-Sports events, that attract the largest public. And with fully responsive websites, punters can now put money on their favourite e-Sports teams.
2. Sports betting and the US market
When it comes to sports betting, the US is a strange animal. The US abolished the 25-year-old PASPA Act, which made sports wagering illegal, a new betting market was opened to bookmakers. Just a month after the notable Supreme Court decision, USA’s first bookmakers opened shop on the territory of New Jersey – the state, which has been fighting to legalise sports betting for years.
Even though 2018 will probably miss another significant development into this matter, the year will remain a significant one for all sports punters in the US. At the very least, US sports bettors no longer have to visit suspiciously-looking online sportsbooks, based outside the country. Instead, they can place sports bets at some of the world’s leading bookmakers, such as William Hill.
According to experts, the US sports betting market is worth at least $10 billion, but once sports betting is fully integrated, that number will certainly increase. Last, but not least, the technological improvements, which are likely to take place in the months following the noteworthy Supreme Court decision, will certainly impact the global sports betting industry, too. If there is any downside to this trend, it is that sports bettors might have to face more regulations.
Now that the US has opened doors to the sports betting industry, it is thought that other countries might follow suit. We can not tell for certain, but in the next few years we might witness a substantial expansion of the sports betting market.
4. Live betting
In the past few years, live betting has become one of the most popular betting options. Whereas broadcasting and streaming rights are still reserved to a limited number of networks, more and more bookmakers are signing contracts that allow them to stream live games and thus allow live betting.
What makes live betting so exciting is, of course, the fact that you can bet while the game is being played. But that is not all – an ever-increasing number of bookmakers post valuable statistics that can be used to place live bets. On top of this, the live betting market is experiencing an expansion and as a result, more betting options are made available to punters.
5. Player tracking software
Finally, we want to talk about the technologies implemented in sports, which allow us to take advantage of a more exotic sports betting market. According to experts, some sports are including player tracking software, which track players’ health condition during a game. It is unclear whether all sports will take advantage of such a technology, but in the near future, we might be able to bet on players’ BPM, the total distance they run in a match, etc.
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