Live (in-play) betting has been around since the late 1990s. However, it didn’t start to become widely popular until the 21st century when online bookies started offering live betting.

Today, live betting generates billions in betting turnover around the world. Bookies offer live betting on all major sports, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer, among others.

Initially, the rise of live betting was because bookies wanted to keep the bettor engaged. If a bettor was losing their bet they would often lose interest in the game. However, with in-play betting, it’s possible to not only make their stake bet betting the same game, but they can turn a profit.

From a bookie’s standpoint, in-play wagering is perfect for increasing turnover. Not only that, but most live bettors aren’t making sharp bets, they’re typically betting 50/50 propositions.

For example, with the NFL, a common in-play bet is on the next score. You can bet on the next team to score or you can bet on how the next points will be scored (TD, FG, Safety/Defense).

With the MLB, it's common to bet on the next at-bat. You can bet on whether the player will get a hit or out. Alternatively, you can bet on how the player will get a hit or an out. For example, you can bet on the next batter coming up to the plate and hitting a home run if you’re feeling lucky.

It’s easy for bettors to get caught up watching a game and placing bets for no reason other than to have some action. This is ideal for the bookie, as the goal is to generate turnover.

How to Improve the Live Betting Experience at Your Bookie

One thing’s for sure, live betting is blowing up and bookies need to take advantage. Here are some tips to help improve the in-play wagering experience at your PPH sportsbook.

? More Markets, the Better: You should find a PPH provider that can offer you a wide variety of in-play betting markets for your players. Players expect more in-play markets than just the traditional straight bets. They want to be able to bet on quick-settling markets.

? User Interface (UI): Some bookies have terrible UIs for in-play betting. It’s hard to navigate and difficult to find the markets you want to bet on. If it’s a chore for your clients to place in-play bets then you can’t expect your product to be a success.

? Watch for Sharps: While most of your clients are likely just placing whatever bets they feel like while they watch a game, there are in-play sharps. If you’re getting crushed by a sharp, you need to limit them or completely restrict them from placing in-play bets.

You’re rarely ever going to have a balanced book when dealing with in-play bets and you won’t be able to layoff the action. This is why it’s even more important to watch for sharps and limit them.

Live betting is fast paced and bookies can make a lot from these markets, but you need to make sure your live betting platform can compete with the rest of the competition.