Bet on sports a decade ago and it meant a long-term investment. It was a slow experience of study and expectation, not the real-time, adrenaline-fuelled entertainment it is today. The trend of betting on sports has rippled through the wider gaming sector, influencing major brands, studios, and casinos alike. And as player behaviour continues to adapt and trends push new growth areas, gaming is a better sector for it.
In this article, we’ll look at five ways the sports betting sector has impacted mainstream gaming in the last decade, and five we expect to see in the future.
Micro Betting Tactics Creep Into Mainstream Apps
Betting used to be all or nothing. That’s no longer the case in an era where sportsbooks offer half-time bets, prop wagers, and micro betting options in any category you can imagine.
These tactics have long entered mainstream gaming. In-game offerings now offer “specials” and other auxiliary opportunities to bet on things like the player’s performance or other metrics. For example, see coverage of current trends at Twitch. Offers for fractional or “instant” currency exchanges reflect an industry used to “bankroll” management, and developers are responding with flexible micro-gameplay opportunities.
That push toward in-play and fractional betting has also changed player behaviour. Ever notice how often mobile gamers check? Casual phone players are much more likely to observe in real time minute, per cent-stakes or other stats while in-game. This is because the “dead air” in traditional gaming, like open-world RPG’s, has become a period for side-challenges and live companion apps. It’s not just about “placing bets” in a vacuum – it’s about dynamic, real-time shifts in power and a sense of personal “edge.”
Monetization Models Expand and Evolve
A third ripple effect that sports betting has seen in the gaming world is the way that monetization models are expanding. Loot boxes and season passes are standard revenue drivers for video games, and video game apps.
But watching revenue multipliers and engagement records in sports betting markets made studios curious. Studios began to look for new ways to integrate long-term engagement from multiple vectors. That sea change has seen both subscription models and event-linked bonuses.
Subscription models may offer an unchanging monthly discount but also have added event-based bonuses over time. Bonuses are also a huge deal. Something as simple as a BetMGN bonus code that you can find on a iGaming review platform like WSN can make players go wild – developers are beginning to experiment with similar mechanics that reward players either randomly or through showing their loyalty.
Bonuses might unlock when a real-world sports event or in-game event is launched. Studios might also offer game content that connects to real-world data, so that a “stats pack” bonus might unlock during a major tournament, or an in-game tournament might be based on current events in real life.
Developers and publishers don’t just think about monetization as an initial moment of purchase. Monetization is now also a cycle of engagement, much like the live sports week, the bookmaker’s market, or a new bonus refresh.
Fantasy and Daily Sports Legitimize Daily Fantasy and E-Sports Betting
Arguably one of the most influential ways the betting industry has made its presence felt in gaming recently is by the legal market’s introduction of official fantasy sports options and legitimizing betting on daily fantasy and e-sports.
Fantasy gaming isn’t new. Fantasy markets, gambling-style, have long existed as bookmaker staples. Daily fantasy is a bit different, occupying its own grey zone outside regular markets and smaller betting firms.
But now, with the introduction of official sportsbooks across major sports, including basketball, tennis, cricket, or any other major athletic event, it’s clear that fantasy gaming is going mainstream.
Major e-sports followed closely behind. The lists of major betting companies now offer CS: GO, LoL, Dota 2, Overwatch, and VALORANT, putting them on par with traditional sports. That stamp of approval has lent legitimacy not just to e-sports teams and events, but to the e-sports scene as a whole.
Titles, sponsors, and professional teams are being elevated. Broadcast quality has reached a new level of production value, tournament play is being synced with bookmaker-friendly times, and whole events are being organised around engagement opportunities. That convergence between mainstream betting and e-sports or fantasy play has accelerated both acceptance of e-sports and the depth of its spectator growth.
Responsible Gaming Safety Nets Become Widespread
We’ll be honest: the rise of sports betting hasn’t all been a positive influence. In fact, the current rise of sports betting has also seen greater regulation, more nuance and heavy handed-approaches to problem gambling, and tougher scrutiny in many areas of the sector.
But that awareness hasn’t been a negative influence on mainstream gaming; in fact, the opposite is true. Betting has prodded the entire industry – and gaming regulators – into action.
Sports betting brought early adoption of things like “self-exclusion”, deposit limits, loss-tracking, and session time warnings. These now filter across to mainstream services. Live-service games often now feature session warnings or “fatigue” alerts to encourage responsible play. Monetization caps and reporting dashboards offer player caps in the style of self-limiting features.
The industry is working toward a more unified culture of awareness and transparency. Gaming companies large and small are talking about player health instead of anonymity and short-term gain.
Social Sharing Moves Beyond Game Feeds
Betting isn’t done in a vacuum, and it isn’t only a spectator experience for fans. Betting can be a night out with the game, a bar chat, or even an impulse tweet.
Gaming has picked up on that social dimension of betting, too. Social gaming, community building, and performance leaderboards have existed for years, but the ways communities interconnect has changed. Leaderboards and live feeds now have inbuilt betting overlays.
Fantasy sports software even includes group or friend-versus options to pit your in-play value against another competitor. How do you win? Do you have the best win-per-dollar this week? How about the highest bet?
Players share, and compare, performance and stakes in equal measure. Communities are now as likely to form around “bankroll optimization” tips as they are around meta-strategies or hidden game elements. Betting overlays have encouraged gaming studios to build additional friend-versus modes, cashable challenges, or player-run leagues into their titles.
Final Thoughts
We might look back in 10 years and see sports betting as both the beginning and the end. It’s brought innovation to an industry, and is now preparing to shake up the structure of that industry. Developers, publishers, and studios are already leaving their marks on an expanding ecosystem of gaming and betting.
Casual, skill-based betting options are just a drop in the bucket. More tools to help players improve play, to interact with the social environment, and to stake in deeper forms await. Expect players to stake (sometimes with each other, sometimes against other players) in short-term and long-term events. Expect to see metadata blended and shared across multiple media. Get ready to share performance, achievement, and real-money gains. Betting’s big leap is now pushing features into every player’s world.
