From Bookies to Bots: The Tech Evolution of Football Betting

Here in the UK, matchday just wouldn’t be matchday without trudging through town, braving the wind and rain, and paying well over the odds for a charred, blackened mess masquerading as a pie as you support your local team.

Of course, for many football fans, another must when it comes to matchday is building your weekly Acca, only to find you being let down by one single result. Yes, as part of our football culture, football betting can be just as exciting as the match itself.

These days, betting on the football almost feels like an essential part of the whole football experience. It’s engrained in our culture and with so many bookmakers and platforms to choose from, punters looking to place a cheeky bet or two are spoiled for choice.  Even further afield, Irish bookmakers Scs.ie show that pretty much every large bookmaker in Ireland features football as the most popular sport people bet on.

While online gambling helped to make sports betting more inclusive and competitive, in recent years, modern technology has helped football betting become more advanced than ever. This not only helps make the experience more secure, it also helps make it more immersive, potentially lucrative, and exciting.

From AI and live streaming to biometrics and fraud detection, here’s a look at the tech evolution of football betting.

The Early Years of Football Betting

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, and the creation of things such as laptops, smartphones, and the internet in general, sports betting is now more convenient than ever before. Whether you’re looking to bet on the result of a local derby, bookings, goals outside of the box, or anything else, we can now bet on a variety of elements of the beautiful game with the tap of a screen, from the comfort of our home. There was once a period in history when that wasn’t the case.

In the UK, it used to be illegal to bet on the football before the 1960s. Does that mean that people never used to bet on matches? Of course not, it just means that underground gambling on the black market was the only way for people to place bets.

To tackle illegal gambling, and no doubt seeing the financial potential, in 1960 the 1960 Betting & Gaming Act was introduced. Once sports gambling was legalised, bookmakers such as William Hill, Coral, and Ladbrokes began popping up all over the high street.

Today, we can bet on football matches not only in a variety of different leagues in the UK, but in different leagues all over the world. Back then however, it was only possible to bet on matches which were televised. These were limited to tournaments and only the most popular games. When Sky Sports began televising the Premier League in 1992 however, that changed. Now, with multiple games screened each week, betting on different teams, matches, and results was easier than ever.

Of course, once the internet became a thing in the late 90s, football betting really took off. Instead of walking down to your local bookies, or giving them a ring, you could bet on the football using your computer at home. Some bookmakers, such as Betfair, even operated solely online.

With apps and smart technology, online gambling became easier and more comprehensive than ever. As well as betting on results, goal scorers, and goals scored, punters could enjoy live, in-play betting and could bet on things like red cards, the number of corners, and even, controversially, whether players would eat a pie during a game (if you know, you know).

The Tech Evolution of Football Betting

Football is our national sport here in the UK, and this is very much reflected in the betting markets. Last year alone, the GGY (Gross Gambling Yield) of online sports betting was estimated to be worth £2.4 billion. Of this, £1.1 billion was generated through football betting. And that’s just online betting. Walk into any high street bookmakers on a Saturday afternoon and you’ll see for yourself just how popular football betting still is. It is, therefore, the most popular sport for gambling, by a considerable margin.

As football betting continues to grow in popularity, the tech used by bookies is becoming increasingly advanced. Here’s a closer look at some of the tech now being used.

AI

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, has been the buzzword of the last couple of years. Despite concerns that the AI bubble may be due to burst, and the tech clearly demonstrating its limitations, the advancements in recent years can’t be overlooked.

In football betting, AI algorithms are used by bookmakers for predictive odds, risk management, and more besides. These algorithms are able to assess all manner of things from team selection, player performance, injuries, weather impacts, attendance figures, team performance, and more besides. This helps bookies to provide punters with the very best odds and open up a host of different markets.

Fraud Detection and Security

Because so many people are now using their phones to gamble, it’s important for bookmakers to ensure that their platforms are safe and secure. With modern tech, they are able to do precisely that.

Fraud detection for example, is more advanced than ever. Bookies are able to use biometrics such as fingerprint and facial recognition to authenticate user identities. The tech is so advanced that it is able to determine if an account has been taken over, or if something looks suspicious. This is again thanks to AI and machine learning.

This, coupled with extensive security measures like firewalls, Blockchain tech, encryption, and anti-virus software, helps to keep customer data and accounts safe and secure at all times.

Live Streaming

Live streaming is another feature that has helped to dramatically enhance user experiences when it comes to betting.

Most online platforms are able to stream matches live in UHD resolutions so punters can stream the match and bet live as the action unfolds.

Micro Betting Features

With micro-betting, punters are able to enjoy live, in-play betting and bet upon specific things such as bookings, throw-ins, corners, free kicks, and so on.

Customer Support Chatbots

While chatbots may be somewhat controversial when it comes to customer service, they do offer certain advantages, particularly when it comes to 24/7 customer service.

With the use of chatbots, punters are able to benefit from customer service around the clock, no matter what time of day it is.