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EURO 2012 MOBILE APPS
eGaming Review’s Tom Washington reviews Euro 2012-speci?c betting apps
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or sportsbook operators, the European Championships represent the largest betting market after the football World Cup. This year’s was no different, and two operators, Betfair and Paddy Power, sought to cash in on the growing demand for mobile gaming by launching Euro 2012-speci?c apps. Betfair’s Euro 2012 app tailored the operator’s vast offering for the three-week tournament, including the regular markets – top goalscorer, outright winner, individual match winners and ?rst and last goalscorer – plus several special offers. And there were plenty of added extras that make it a product in its own right. From the home page, users can swipe left or right to head towards the latest bets or tournament information respectively. There’s a guide to each group, team, manager and key players, complete with links to related bets. What makes the app really worth exploring, though, is the Latest News section, which features tournament diaries and tactical viewpoints written by football journalists, and occasional opinion pieces from the likes of Premier League manager Harry Redknapp, giving his expert views on England’s performance. According to Betfair, all the content has been optimised across seven languages. Registration is a simple process, and depositing and withdrawing mirrors the website offering. Users can also use the Cash Out feature to lock in a pro?t or minimise losses. Paddy Power’s app follows a similar route, bringing together the latest ?xture information along with up-to-the-minute odds for all the games and related markets. The home page features odds for home and away wins and draws for the day’s games, making it very easy to ?nd and make a bet quickly on the move. There is also a Promotions tab to take you straight to the best one-off deals, such as refunding al l ?rst and last scorer bets if the game ends
in a goalless draw. Not so good, however, is the fact that non-Euro 2012 bets appear randomly in the tab, such as golf and NBA. One added bonus to this app, especially if you’re a fan of trivia, is the Stadiums tab, with the lowdown on each of the tournament venues, such as how much it cost to construct and even some historical facts. But compared to the Betfair app, which incorporates a minimalist design making it easy to navigate, this effort feels crowded and doesn’t stand up as well on its own. One page, for example, features all the tournament’s league tables, future ?xtures and top goal scorers list, meaning you have to scroll through the lot to get to what you’re looking for. In a separate launch, Paddy Power teamed up with augmented reality ?rm Blippar to bring the Queen to life as its “spokesperson” for the tournament. Via the Blippar app, users hover their iPhone camera over a £10 note and see Her Royal Highness, complete with vuvulzela, announce the latest bets, along with her views on the tournament.
Betfair's latest news' section is worth exploring
Betfair’s Euro 2012 app tailors the operator’s vast offering for the three-week tournament
www.egrmagazine.com
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