GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 49 - April 2021

It is not just new geographical markets that will emerge in 2021. The pandemic also gave a boost to these evolving gambling products and services. Virtual Sports In 2020, more viewers were able to watch virtual racing events on national television channels in the U.K., U.S. and Australia than ever before, as virtual races replaced live ones. The al- most-total cancellation of live international sporting events for several months left a void that virtual betting events could fill. The high-profile virtual events broadcast on television brought virtual racing to a much wider, mass audience than would ordinarily see them in betting outlets or betting websites. In the U.K., the ‘ Virtual Grand National ’ was held in April 2020 and broadcast on a main U.K. TV channel (ITV). The virtual event replaced one of the world’s most high-profile horseraces, the Grand National, held at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool. The Virtual Grand National attracted an audience of over four million people and raised £2.6 million for charity, with all losing bets being donated to the cause by U.K. bookmakers. In May 2020, 1.7 million viewers watched a virtual ‘ Kentucky Derby ’. The race featured the 13 Triple Crown winners from the past century. It was part of Churchill Downs’ nationwide Kentucky Derby at Home Party featured on NBC. Esports The cancellation of live sports combined with societal lockdowns provided the perfect conditions for betting on esports to flourish. In theU.K., the gross win on esports betting inMarch 2020 was 30-times higher than in the same month in 2019. In April 2020, esports betting accounted for more than 4% of all sports betting gross win. Drone racing DraftKings began taking bets on drone racing, starting with the championship of the Drone Racing League. Betting is only available to customers in five U.S. states: Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Tennessee and West Virginia. GBGC first wrote about drone racing and its potential as a sport upon which to bet in 2016, shortly after the launch of the Drone Racing League. At the time, GBGC highlighted the sport’s appeal, describing it as “betting for the Star Wars generation”: • Fast-paced live or pre-recorded sports action featuring 70 mph drones • Thrills and spills without concerns for human or animal welfare • First-person viewing makes viewers feel part of the action • Regular and frequent events – the drones don’t get tired • An element of form, skill and personalities in the pilots flying the drones • An appeal to younger, non-traditional sports fans DraftKings believes there is a market for drone racing betting. Free-to-play contests on drone races were offered in 2020 and the participation was reportedly 30% higher than usual for a new sport introduced to the betting platform. The company cited consumer research, which revealed drone racing fans are three times more likely to place a bet than fans of major sports leagues. Furthermore, fans of drone racing are 90% more likely to be interested in sports betting in general than the average sports fan. DraftKings plans to offer both pre-match and in-play betting on drone races. CONCLUSION After several years of delays, the pace of regulatory change in several markets did appear to quicken in 2020. This is a good thing for those suppliers and affiliates seeking emerging markets in which to participate. GBGC has highlighted four markets which are worth paying attention to. But there is a risk in im- plementing a lot of regulatory change all at once in the rush to shore up tax revenues. A BRAVE NEW WORLD Emerging Products and Services to Watch Lorien Pilling has nearly 20 years’ experience in the gambling sector and is the director at Global Betting and Gaming Consultants, which provides practical and insightful consultancy, data and market reports for the global gambling industry. G P W A t i m e s . o r g 26