Editor's Letter

In our last Sports Betting Focus magazine (H2 2024), we looked closely at the betbuilder trend sweeping the industry. The abundance of data available to sportsbook providers, combined with player demand for greater control over their betting experience, has seen betbuilders permeate across the sector.
Overall, though, the total percentage of wagers that betbuilders account for is not yet dominant, despite strong growth. Many sports fanatics still bet ‘the old way,’ while there is in fact another growing trend that heads in the opposite direction.
Indeed, in-play betting is king across a number of sports and, certainly, high-profile sports betting events (like the Super Bowl in early February). And that aforementioned abundance of data has, equally, allowed in-play betting to thrive in new forms – chiefly that of microbetting. Microbetting ensures speed is of the essence: the next shot, the next throw-in, the next ace.
Take tennis, for example: we’re no longer talking about the outcome of a match, set or even game. It’s the next point that matters. The differences between microbetting and betbuilding could not be starker. Control over the betting experience goes out of the window, while strategy and patience become alien concepts. There is more gut feel, less analysis and a greater emphasis on instant gratification.
This satisfies a huge portion of bettors – and creates healthy margins for sportsbooks. But there are immediate considerations: will bettors simply get tired sooner of wagering once every few moments? Will bettors use up their entertainment budget quicker and come back less often after a negative gaming experience? Most importantly, how can operators ensure microbetting is carried out responsibly – and how can regulators keep up with this fast-paced activity when setting guidelines for what determines acceptable levels of necessary intervention?
Just like the growth of betbuilders, this is another phenomenon that won’t be going away anytime soon. But what does that mean for the sector and how can suppliers capitalise - in the right way? As always at Gambling Insider, we don’t shy away from these big questions in our cover feature, speaking to sportsbook suppliers and analysts as we apply a microscopic lens to microbetting.
Elsewhere, Betby provides us with exclusive data once again, this time on the recently concluded Australian Open, while we also speak with the CEO of new sports betting sector arrival X Games. Are sportsbooks getting more social? And how will greyhound racing fare around the world after the announcement it will be banned in New Zealand from 2026?
We look into these issues and more, while again bringing you a who’s who of sports betting companies via an array of company profiles, as well as a preview of April’s SiGMA Americas Summit in Brazil. So, if you work in sports betting, what more do you need to hear? Get reading – this is the publication for you.
TP, Editor