SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
In the third instalment of SBC’s Better Collective Spotlight series, we spoke to Philip Trampe, PR Team Lead for Better Collective, to get the inside line on bettingexpertLIVE.
Trampe was on hand to tell us more about the site designed to showcase what the world is betting on in-play, including how punters can create tipster lists to shadow the top performers, and why the integration with bet365 provides a validation of the odds on offer.
SBC: This live app is an extension of bettingexpert.com. What does it hope to bring to the world of sports betting?
PT: The vision of bettingexpertLIVE is to be the ultimate second screen tool to enhance the experience of anyone who is watching a game live. The true fun of bettingexpertLIVE is that it can be a fun way to compete with friends to see who can achieve the highest yield during games, which is why the app is ideal for times of major tournaments.
We originally launched the app in conjunction with the EURO 2016 tournament, and we were happy to see that our users were actively engaging with the product.
SBC: How will it stand out in an already saturated market?
PT: Our industry has always looked to how to optimise user retention after major tournaments. Users jump in out of curiosity, place basic bets in the spirit of the tournament, and don’t really continue on after they’ve had their fun.
It was this idea that drove the idea of bettingexpertLIVE – not necessarily in trying to retain punters, but more in educating those who were completely new to the idea of sports betting on how different markets works and how odds fluctuate during the game. It became a secondary tool to use during live matches that people were able to play around in a sandbox without necessarily spending actual money.
The engaging UX allowed for novice punters to sit with their friends who were more experienced punters, who likely already sat with existing accounts with bookies, and play along at their own pace.
Of course, we also monetised the app so people could bet directly with bet365 if they wished to back their tips (or those from others with proven yields), but the true purpose was to create a safe space that introduced the aspects of betting, as well as how to bet intelligently based on the advice of others rather than just put down money based on gut instincts.
SBC: bet365 is one of the world’s most recognisable betting operators. How valuable is the integration of the firm’s live odds?
PT: With their strong global brand, having a partner like bet365 was definitely valuable. As mentioned, the app was created for novice punters to be able to simulate a real betting experience without actually putting any money in.
Anyone who has heard of betting has heard of bet365, and with their logo sitting next to the live odds, a validation of the odds was created. This way, the novice user knows that the odds are real, if their bets were not.
SBC: Does this mean bettingexpertLIVE only target novice punters?
PT: Not at all. bettingexpertLIVE is a great place for novice punters to test the waters for their first betting experiences, but it is also a the ideal playground for experienced punters to test new strategies. In-play betting sets different parameters for betting, so this allows betting experts to work on their own betting techniques, while novice punters can be inspired by them through observing them on the platform.
