G2E Showcases Future of American Sports Betting Technology
Sports betting are the two words being discussed more than anything at this year’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the annual gathering of games developers and casino operators. Thanks to the legalisation of sports gambling in America, the variety of sports betting products showcased this year breaks G2E’s record. It is a far cry from past G2E shows where a few sports betting companies displayed products that were not regulated in the States.
The Evolving Casino Sportsbooks
G2E Las Vegas sees the introduction of advanced sports betting technologies from overseas into American casinos. Now in casinos in Mississippi and New Jersey such as the Gold Nugget, gamers can find sports betting kiosks that have been used by punters from the rest of the world for years. The day younger American gamblers have been waiting for – when they can place bets in the sportsbook without dealing with a person – has finally arrived. This will significantly shorten their time spent in queues.
Gaming company International Game Technology (IGT) will install their PlayShot sports betting kiosks in Mississippi and New Jersey casinos later this year. More casino-oriented than kiosks made other manufacturers, the PlayShot kiosks allow gamblers to use a mobile players club card if available. MGM Resorts and FanDuel are two of the names on the list of gaming operators IGT is partnering with.
In-Play Wagering
IGT has also unveiled the CrystalBetting Terminal, a betting station tailored for in-play sports betting while watching a game.
The CrystalBetting Terminal enables gamblers to customise their screen so that it only displays their favourite games. With in-play odds displayed, players can also place bets directly on the screen.
What differentiates the CrystalBetting Terminal from most mobile apps is that the former allows bettors to populate it with the amount they wish to wager. For instance, if a player only wishes to wager USD$20 throughout the game, they will only have to enter the information once rather than each bet. This will make it much faster to place a bet especially for fast-paced sports such as football.
Problem of In-Play Betting in America
Although in-play wagering is very common in Europe, the gambling style is still new to America, mainly because of the inadequacy in technology. While mobile gambling in Nevada has less than 10 years of history, many of the older platforms are too slow for in-play betting. With the introduction of up-to-date betting stations such as the CrystalBetting Terminal, sports gamblers of the US are well underway to joining other parts of the world with in-game wagering.