As a type of online gambling, sports betting has always had a faithful audience. Recently, with the legalization of sports betting in the U.S., we can expect the industry to grow further. The trend can be observed around the world as well, most notably with the boom of fantasy and betting market in India.
In the light of these developments, it’s beneficial to take a look at changing fan behaviors towards sports betting. That will help all sports industry professionals determine how they can make use of this ever-growing industry to connect with sports fans in a more meaningful way.
Betting in the U.S. and the Benefits of Legalization
In 2017, the polls in America showed a preference for sports betting legalization for the first time. According to the University of Massachusetts Lowell nationwide poll, 55% of participants voted in favor of legalization of sports betting. These results clearly show that the attitude towards betting is slowly changing and that avid sports fans enjoy the activity. It’s almost baffling that sports betting in the U.S. haven’t legalized until recently, despite driving the black market for years. Mainly when the benefits of legalization include increased state revenue, boosting fan engagement and supporting sports integrity, it’s clear why legalization has been a long time coming.
Fantasy Sports Market in India
Sports betting isn’t the only pastime of avid sports fans. In India, the fantasy sports market is booming, taking advantage of the 200 million online cricket fans hungry for more sports-related content. Creating your fantasy team out of all players in a league and then gathering points based on their real performance and stats is the basic concept of fantasy sports. It brings an element of competition into fan engagement, similar to how it happens in the sports themselves. The best part about fantasy sports is that it isn’t considered betting since it’s more a game of skill than chance.
In India, cricket is by far the most popular fantasy sport, followed by football and kabaddi. What people love about it is that they can run contests with their friends to see who’s got the best team. According to the IFSG report Scoring Big with Sports Gaming, fantasy sports are converting passive fans into active fans. The same report finds that the industry has grown a whopping 200% from 2017.
Fantasy Cricket Apps by Fanisko
It’s a good time to be a cricket fan in India, with the number of quality cricket apps that exist. Along with the Cricking app that keeps cricket fans updated on match scores and more, Fanisko also offers the app Cricking Duels, for all cricket fantasy sports fans. Our app not only allows you to play traditional cricket fantasy but also hybrid fantasy, where you are the 11th player in your fantasy team. Ball-by-ball prediction gives you more control over your team’s performance than ever before, and it certainly helps you engage with the sport better. It’s a full fantasy sports experience with an innovative twist that avid cricket fans will undoubtedly appreciate.
With the sports betting and fantasy sports market growing, it’s a great time to take advantage of the latest technologies to engage fans. Fanisko Engage is an SDK integration platform that will help any team improve their existing apps or create one for them. Visit our website for more information on how to use our platform to achieve maximum fan engagement.