NEWS > ANALYSIS
A sporting chance?
The potential for real-money sports betting on Facebook is a topic that has been met with scepticism from some quarters, perhaps due to concerns regarding the performance of existing freeplay offerings in the Rasmus Sojmark vertical. While player CEO and founder of demographics are unlikely London-based startup Oddslife to be consistent across the of London-based startup real-money and freeplay Oddslife. elements, there remains a mindset Despite the relative negativity that sports does not sit quite as well when it comes to the regulation with the medium. of sports betting in the United This may in part have its States, others within the social foundations in poker and casino’s sector remain ambitious if realistic. relative dominance of the social Toby Simmons, CEO of Favourit, casino environment, at least as far described the social betting business as Facebook apps are concerned. as being “well positioned” for Even outside Facebook a number of changes in the US in a recent Social social sports betting operators have Casino Intelligence interview. rejigged and rethought their models As Webb has experienced via amid efforts to understand players his own business, SportzRush, within what is again a ?edgling niche social sports betting is at an instant within a ?edgling wider market. disadvantage by virtue of being “Unless the user experience is “event dependent without the very different, I don’t understand instant grati?cation from spinning why you would bet for real-money a slot machine”. However he does through a social betting site when appreciate that sports does lend there is nothing stopping you just itself to social in other respects, having a second window open with particularly among men who want a real-money bookmaker,” explains ‘skin in the game’ and ‘bragging Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder rights’ among their friends.
long-term play” rather than a way to make “a quick buck”. Indeed, Facebook’s choice of partners in many ways tells its own story. Choosing a private operator with the UK as its predominant market in Gamesys allowed the network to make its ?rst RMG move as under-the-radar as possible, even if that might not have been its outright intention. Furthermore, Gamesys’ strength in bingo and slots – to the effective ignorance of other verticals – has set the tone for a focus on a limited portfolio until Facebook has been given time to settle on a direction. The selection of Bonza Gaming in February as its third partner is similarly interesting from the point of view of showing Facebook is prepared to judge each case on its individual merits. Bonza Gaming has a similarly limited product offering, with slots the only vertical in which it is active through an exclusive deal with NetEntertainment. Bonza, a collaboration between social newcomer Plumbee and veteran egaming ?rm Sportingbet (whose stake was subsequently bought out by Unibet), did not even exist as a
“WHILE SOME SOCIAL-ONLY DEVELOPERS MIGHT BE ATTRACTED BY THE OPPORTUNITIES OF PLUGGING IN A REAL-MONEY ASPECT TO THEIR GAMING, THE LIKELIHOOD IS FACEBOOK WOULD NOT ALLOW IT”
Mike Webb, SportzRush
company 12 months ago. Yet it may have been the industry expertise of individuals – rather than the entity as a whole – which made Facebook’s decision that bit easier. The ?nal member of the triumvirate and the second chronologically, is 888. As with Gamesys, the London-listed operator has only launched bingo and slots, and as with Bonza it only launched one product to begin with. However, it could yet differ from the pack through its potential to launch a poker or sports betting offering if Facebook gives the green light. “One of the beauties of the structure of the company now is we operate in verticals,” 888 chief executive
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