In-play sports betting leaders revealed by survey

Industry survey puts William Hill & Bet365 as leaders in the in-play sports betting market

A survey conducted by industry researcher Gambling Compliance has ranked Europe’s leading online betting firms by the quality and scope of its in-play sports offerings. Conducted throughout November and December 2011, researchers analysed the number of possible bets per event, as well as the amount of sports available for in-play betting.

Bet365, the family owned bookmakers offered by far the most varied choice to its punters, opening up odds on 20 different sports across 534 events. This was in comparison to Sportingbet on 358, Bwin on 317, Ladbrokes on 313 and William Hill on 297.

However, when it came to the amount of possible bets per event, William Hill was in a different league, with an average of 53, well ahead of Ladbrokes on 30, Sportingbet on 25, Bet365 on 24 and Bwin on 23.

Football proved to be the most popular sport for in-play betting, accounting for over two-thirds of the in-play bets placed during the months the survey was being carried out.  Basketball came in second, followed by tennis and volleyball.

In-play betting allows gamblers to bet on sporting events whilst they are taking place and has been heavily promoted by bookies such as William Hill and Bet365, whose advertising campaign features the well-known actor Ray Winstone.

It has been seen by some as the perfect way to drive growth in the industry as over the counter sales have remained stagnant in recent years. However, results released by William Hill have shown a growth of 11% in quarter four of 2011 for OTC sales, proving that the traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ betting shops are still very much in demand in the British market. 

Both William Hill and Bet365 offer a lot more than in-play sports betting. Both gambling brands have slots games, table and card games and even live dealer games in their sites. Today’s gamblers want variety and betting firms are working hard to keep up with the rising demands of today’s bettors. 

A typical player will bet on a sports game and then spin his favourite slot game and eventually end up with a pretty live dealer at a roulette table. Thanks to the internet, bettors are more aware than ever as to what is available.

What’s next after in-play? One must assume that William Hill and Bet365 are working on speeding up the live sports feeds that they receive. The faster they can pass on information to their customers, the more bets they can accept. 

Read the latest online sports betting news. Click here!