The Rise of Micro Betting

Going by the title of this article, we are sure that many unfamiliar with the concept of micro-betting will instantly assume that this refers to some sort of strategy—an approach to sports gambling entailing people posting tiny wagers on sporting events en route to better profit chances. However, micro-betting is not that at all. In fact, it is something entirely different, and to explain it, it’s best to paint a situation that describes it.

Imagine you are sitting at home, watching an NBA game between the LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets. One of the Lakers’ players is approaching the free-throw line to take two shots after getting fouled. At that moment, your phone buzzes. It is your chosen fiat or crypto gambling app telling you that you have ten seconds to decide if you are going to wager on whether the player will make both of his upcoming free throws or if he is going to miss the pair. In short, this is what micro-betting is all about. It is a type of live gambling that allows individuals to make very specific wagers on distinct aspects of games in real-time.

This is different from prop wagering. It is a gambling form that exclusively happens live. Yes, there is no doubt that it overlaps with prop gambling. They both highlight distinct events in games, with the overall score/contest ending not being what people are betting on.

The Evolution of Wagering & Birth of Micro Betting

For the longest time, people would only pick winners, spreads/totals in sports betting. Then came props, and with the advent of online sportsbooks, live wagering gained massive popularity, causing a shift in this pastime. It was the technology that pioneered wagering on events as they happened that gave way to micro betting, as it allowed bookies to segment an event, enabling gamblers to lay down wagers on things like the next point, possession, play, and so on.

High-speed internet and smartphones were crucial to this evolution, as were sportsbook solution suppliers that have mountains of data to facilitate odds creation for this.

Unlike traditional betting, what we are describing here is characterized by its speed and frequency. It appeared in the early to mid-2010s, and it is still not available in most sportsbooks.

Simplebet, a software development company out of New York, is one of the top B2B product suppliers that is a leader in the sphere of micro betting, delivering software that allows this gambling form by leveraging machine learning and automation to, as it calls it, make every moment a betting opportunity. Genius Sports is another top player in this sphere, and in 2022-23, micro-betting saw sizeable growth with U.S. betting operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel, with it gaining traction with eSports enthusiasts in particular.

Why Micro Betting is Gaining Popularity

There are several reasons why this is happening. We noted the most pivotal one: that is instant gratification. In this day and age, most people, especially those under forty, are used to getting quick feedback. Technology has gotten them accustomed to this, and micro-betting gives them immediate results. Naturally, given its real-time nature, it boosts engagement, keeping gamblers glued to screens and making matches highly immersive.

Furthermore, unlike the usual pre-match sports gambling, which requires extensive knowledge for profitability. Micro-betting appeals to those who just want to have fun and wish to rely on their instincts when making betting decisions.

Of course, all this means is that this betting type entices younger demographics, and modern apps make things more attractive by creating tailored experiences, allowing bettors to focus only on aspects of a game they find interesting. Some platforms have begun integrating micro-betting with social media, thus allowing users to share bets, making this a communal experience.

The Technology & Impact of Micro Betting

It is easy to assume that, as an entertainment form that relies on speed, micro-betting needs complex algorithms that analyze game data within milliseconds. Many top sportsbook hubs/apps now also put up live streams for their offered games (for gambling fun/markets), ensuring that bettors can visually track the games they have wagered on. Getting notifications on what is occurring is all fine and good, but it is better for gamblers to see the events unfolding with their own eyes. That is what gets them deeper into their gambling entertainment. Yes, there may be a slight lag, but this is the best that modern tech can provide and is good enough for now.

Top sports leagues have been or will be dramatically affected by the rise of micro-betting, as they will undoubtedly have to adapt to the increased fan engagement this brings soon. That will occur even amidst concerns about this betting type endangering games’ integrity. To minimize concerns in this area, government bodies are trying to combat foul play by investing substantial sums in creating novel monitoring systems that look to spot potential match-fixing by scanning game stats.

On the responsible gambling front, there are worries that the swiftness with which micro-betting happens encourages impulsive behavior. In other words, this pastime increases the risk of people developing a gambling addiction, as those who engage in it get dopamine hits that happen fast and are quite powerful. Another thing that most people are not too sure about is if delayed information can lead to dramatic disputes between operators and gamblers. Will incorrectly provided info lead to massive problems, ones that will hurt trust in betting platforms as a whole?

Best Sports for Micro Betting

American football and basketball stand out as the two sports tailor-made for micro betting. We say this because they have loads of starts and stops. That is essential for micro-betting, as this creates the wagering openings and the betting situations. Games from the NFL and NBA are not as free-flowing as some from other forms of competitions. American football especially creates various in-game situations that people can wager on, making it ideal for micro-betting. Tennis is also not a bad pick, and baseball is a decent one as well.

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