A group of analysts at J.P. Morgan agrees with online sportsbook operator DraftKings (DKNG -1.73%) that live, in-game "micro-betting" will add significant handle and profits to digital sports betting companies' activity, The Fly reports. The effects of in-game betting will likely prove "substantial," according to the analysts, and increase the sports betting market's size above the predicted $9.2 billion by 2025.
Headed by Daniel Politzer, the analyst group says micro-betting is a major driving force in profits for sportsbooks in England, where "in-game betting, and micro-betting in particular, are viewed as products that can help turn live sports into a more immersive gaming experience," Barron's reports. Politzer's team cites research indicating 75% of internet sports betting revenue in the United Kingdom comes from in-game micro-bets.
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In-game micro-bets are placed on live game broadcasts, offering odds on the next turn of play happening in the game. The J.P. Morgan team notes popular American sports, including basketball, baseball, and football, are well suited to the micro-betting model. Rather than featuring continuous play, these games frequently pause, giving participants time to place wagers on what they believe will happen next, a pattern Politzer refers to as an "accommodating cadence."
DraftKings has long maintained live, in-game micro-bets will provide a notable revenue stream.
Thus far, DraftKings' anticipated success from the March Madness basketball tournament has failed to materialize. However, J.P. Morgan expects a long list of sports betting providers may eventually benefit from micro-betting, including Caesars Entertainment (CZR -3.00%), which has been expanding into digital sportsbook activity even as physical Las Vegas gambling picks up, Barstool Sports partner Penn National Gaming (PENN -0.98%), and even Kentucky Derby operator Churchill Downs (CHDN 0.06%).
