Sports betting has enjoyed a massive upturn in popularity over the past decade. While much of this has been put down to the ongoing deregulation of online gambling everywhere from the US to Brazil, there is little doubting the fact that mobile technology is behind the trend.
The vast majority of online sportsbooks now have their own betting apps that allow the user to bet on sports from the convenience of their smartphone or tablet. The best real money betting apps can be downloaded for free from the relevant Apple App Store or Google Play store to an iPhone, iPad or Android mobile device.
However, it’s important to note that many betting apps do so much more compared to what you would get at a standard physical retail sportsbook. Here are some big reasons why more and more sports betting fans are starting to go mobile.
Sheer convenience
What’s particularly impressive is the way in which the new generation of sportsbook apps has opened up sports betting to a whole segment of the population who will have never wagered on sports before.
The fact that over $8 billion was wagered on this year’s Super Bowl is a testament to how technology has opened up the sports betting industry. After all, with the vast majority of Americans owning a smartphone, it means that they can now bet on pretty much any sport they choose from the palm of their hand.
Live betting entertainment
Gone are the days when bettors could only put down a boring prematch bet before the big game had begun. Now live betting is an essential part of the equation. All good sportsbook apps put live betting front and centre so that players can bet on the game long after the action has kicked off.
This means that there’s no shortage of fun to be had in trying out live betting lines for anything from whether the current drive will end in a touchdown to which NBA star will score the next three-pointer.
Customisation
All good sportsbook apps will allow the user to customize the interface to suit their needs. After all, not every hockey fan wants to wade past endless NFL bets to get into the NHL action. As a result, you’ll see that the most popular betting apps will be precisely geared towards helping the player enjoy a more personalized experience.
This means that there will be the option to set a variety of notifications to alert the user as to when the sportsbook has dropped a brand new promo or even when their favourite team has just scored that winning home run.
Customer loyalty
Of course, it’s not just the bettors who are benefiting from the rapid uptake of betting apps. Online sportsbooks have realized that these apps offer them a superior way to target their users and tailor their betting products accordingly. Plus these apps are a treasure trove for understanding each individual bettor’s behaviour which in turn helps the sportsbook decide what betting lines, odds and promos to offer.
With US gambling revenues hitting record highs, it’s a trend that is only going to get more impressive as the years go on. So while apps have changed the way we live many different aspects of our modern lives, they are only just getting started in the sports betting industry.