Real-time wagering is a prevalent form of gaming, but is it truly secure? It has become a significant facet of the industry, yet certain individuals harbor apprehensions regarding the inherent hazards.

Live betting constitutes a substantial component of contemporary gambling, and it’s challenging to envision wagering without its presence. For instance, Ladbrokes provides live betting markets for a wide array of sports, encompassing football, tennis, and esports. They have transcended mere bets on the subsequent goal or the ultimate score, and its popularity is steadily escalating.

What accounts for the widespread appeal of live betting? It’s exhilarating! You have the ability to place wagers in real time, and the odds are perpetually fluctuating. It’s a constantly evolving offering.

Betsson, a Swedish operator, has witnessed considerable success with live betting. Their product director, Joakim Thor, asserts that it’s an essential element of their enterprise.

Across all significant areas, in-play wagering constitutes more than half of the total volume, reaching as high as 70% in some instances.

Live betting margins tend to be more consistent than pre-game margins, due to the higher proportion of individual wagers.

“Pre-match margins are anticipated to be greater on average, although offering more competitive odds before the match does indeed make the difference quite small compared to live,” he explained. “Pre-game margins fluctuate more, particularly in soccer accumulator bets.”

Soccer is undeniably Betsson’s most popular live betting sport, considering the sport’s widespread appeal and the large number of variables that accompany a 90-minute match. Thor also highlighted that tennis, volleyball, and table tennis are among the sports with the highest ratio of live to pre-match turnover – thanks to the popularity of point-by-point betting.

Where does the risk lie?

While live betting might initially seem to be simply an extension of sports betting, advocates would argue that its best comparison might lie elsewhere. Will Prochaska, from gambling harm charity GambleAware, believes live betting shares similar attributes with online casino games.

“In terms of addictive qualities, I would place it alongside online casino slot games, as they are fast-paced,” he said.

This particular item lacks certain characteristics present in other forms of dependency, such as “losses disguised as wins” – a tactic the industry employs to keep individuals wagering even when they experience losses and remain engaged – it’s somewhat distinct from the most egregious online slots and casino-style games, yet it’s undeniably a very perilous product.

This risk is exacerbated by the item’s widespread appeal, he continued.

Research on the detrimental effects of in-play and pre-match wagering is scarce, but Prochaska believes that high demand, coupled with his assertion that the item is popular among individuals prone to gambling problems, affords the industry an opportunity to emulate online casino-style games within a sporting context.

Prochaska continued: “You take someone’s enthusiasm for football, which might have been a weekly wager – considering the interval between each wager, it might not be a particularly habit-forming activity – and transform it into a fast-paced, casino-style game where you can place bets every few seconds. Certain sports are more conducive to this type of play than others.”

Beyond football – encompassing aspects like free kicks, corners, the next goal, yellow cards, etc. – he also mentioned tennis, labeling it another sport where in-play wagering is highly successful.

“Tennis is a particularly hazardous sport due to its rapid scoring and the ability to wager on points,” he added.

“In-play tennis wagering is a highly repetitive and addictive product.”

It has consistently been demonstrated that this item poses a significant risk, enabling the sector to amass substantial profits. This is due to its rapid pace, facilitating the swift generation of considerable income from a single wagerer, fueled by the allure of betting opportunities.

This perspective, characterizing instantaneous betting as an addictive commodity, is echoed by industry detractors, including the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Gambling-Related Harm.

In their 2020 report outlining gambling reform proposals, the group targeted immediate betting, encompassing virtually every facet of the industry’s offerings.

The group advocated for the restriction of instantaneous betting to in-person or telephone-based interactions. The phone-based model appears to be rooted in a loophole exploited by Australian operators following the prohibition of more conventional forms of instant betting. The APPG report also proposed limitations on all gambling settings, subject to triennial reviews, coupled with affordability assessments for each patron, enabling the adjustment of deposit limits based on individual circumstances.

Regarding instant betting, APPG chair Carolyn Harris MP stated: “The hazard associated with instantaneous betting is a cause for concern, as it permits players to wager continuously throughout a sporting event, with betting companies introducing an increasing number of markets during the game.

“This inevitably fosters impulsive wagering, transforming the act of watching a sporting event solely for entertainment and enjoyment.”

Can immediate wagering be conducted securely?

Although Betsson’s research contradicts the viewpoints of the reformers, live wagering doesn’t offer any proof that exposure to it cultivates more hazardous gamblers.

Sol declared, “While live betting has experienced substantial modifications and quickened in recent times, our analysis indicates that it doesn’t present a greater risk compared to numerous other forms of gaming.

“The percentage of ‘high-risk’ players identified through manual observation and internally constructed prediction tools has remained steady over time, with no notable alterations.”

According to Betsson, the majority of individuals participating in live betting do so securely. Recommendations for maintaining this include safeguarding the integrity of particular sports, preserving high standards of responsible gambling oversight, and taking preemptive actions when risk signals appear.

However, Prochaska would incorporate affordability checks and wagering limits to this list. He asserts that the industry has an obligation to demonstrate that it’s providing safe products to the market.

Betsson itself has instituted responsible gambling procedures for live betting. Risk assessment of customer accounts is driven by a range of factors, including the combination of products played. Another factor is the duration players spend gambling using Betsson products, with the company being particularly cautious about live betting.

Sol continued, ‘Clients who engage in gambling for extended periods or place substantial wagers, particularly during times deemed ‘anti-social,’ are under our observation. Our team actively contacts them based on industry best practices and procedures.

‘Moreover, our automated interaction system monitors such activity in real-time, around the clock, and notifies customers across all devices they utilize. As we mentioned in our Q3 2021 earnings report, Betsson had 74,475 manual, automated, and real-time communication interactions with clients in the third quarter.’

While operators like Betsson exhibit responsible gambling behavior concerning in-play wagering, Prochaska believes the entire sector needs to enhance its efforts to protect players.

In-play wagering promotion

The industry has begun taking steps to elevate its social responsibility standards, including decreasing advertising. This has resulted in the removal of ads like ‘Bet In-Play with Ray,’ which previously showcased the latest odds, from screens. This was driven by the Independent Gambling Regulatory Group (IGRG), the forerunner to the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which introduced a ban on in-play betting promotion in 2019, prohibiting any ads during live sports broadcasts in prime time.

This has had a noticeable impact.”

In the midst of live sporting events, the visibility of gambling advertisements plummeted by a substantial 78%, and the count of children exposed to these ads dwindled by a remarkable 97%.

Although this represents a considerable stride forward, there remains a significant amount of work to be done. A recent poll conducted by the Gambling Commission uncovered that 10% of individuals aged 16-17 years old asserted that they were swayed by gambling advertisements, thus criticism persists.

After all, Prochaska asserts that gambling “ruins the most prosperous of patrons.”

Should wagering during contests be prohibited?

With mounting anxieties surrounding this form of entertainment, a larger number of individuals may advocate for a prohibition on betting during matches in the future. However, such a drastic measure could spawn more substantial problems.

The industry has consistently argued that if substantial alterations are made to gambling products, participants will gravitate towards offshore, unregulated websites that provide minimal safeguards. Activists – and even the Gambling Commission – maintain that UK regulations are so stringent that this offshore peril is overstated.

A study commissioned by the UK Gambling Association from KPMG did propose that the illicit market is a tangible and evident threat. The study claimed that offshore expenditures doubled from £1.4 billion in 2018 to £2.8 billion.

The study declared: “Among participants utilizing unlicensed websites, the capacity to wager substantial sums, offer bets or games unavailable on other websites, and the ability to bet live are popular responses.”

This assertion implies that if wagering on live events is prohibited, a wave of unauthorized operators will emerge within the sector, and this is not without justification. Sol also alluded to this, arguing that outlawing in-play betting would merely drive patrons toward illicit operators.

He stated: “Every governing body needs to assess what legal structure makes sense for them and what categories they are willing to include in regulation.

“However, considering that in-play betting is now highly developed, it is greatly appreciated by consumers, and in numerous markets accounts for a considerable portion of total sports betting revenue, excluding this category from regulation is likely to result in negative channeling, pushing customers towards illicit websites.”

Integrity organizations such as the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) also endorse this perspective. Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, remarked: “Any prohibition on live markets is likely to encourage consumers (and corruptors) to seek out offshore operators for in-play betting.”

Are consumers more secure in an unregulated environment?

In-play betting has evolved into a mature industry with unwavering popularity, but its popularity also makes it a target for black market gambling.

The sector appears to recognize the magnitude of the product in its possession and is taking measures to ensure that in-play betting can be enjoyed responsibly.

The battle against gambling promotion persists, following the triumph over fixed-odds betting terminals. Real-time wagering might be the next focus. This is especially relevant if the industry fails to advance and loses command of its offerings.

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