iGaming Business magazine iGB 111 July/Aug | Page 53

Sports Betting Focus 2018
No registration, no problem:
The next big thing in sports betting
Imagine entering a sports betting site and being able to place a bet right away, without even
registering. Pretty soon it’ll be a reality, says Samuel Barrett
True innovation is rarely seen in sports betting. Usually it’s limited to
side games or borrowed from other industries. But with the rise of
fantasy sports and changing regulations, new concepts are cropping
up that will make it easier for players to get in on the action.
This summer’s World Cup has provided sports betting operators
with the perfect opportunity to make the betting experience better
and more immersive than ever. But there’s one more idea that would
trump every recent innovation – and that’s being able to place a
wager safely and quickly, without even having to register. Well, this
fantasy is becoming a reality thanks to the advent of no-registration
betting sites.
How do no-registration sports betting sites work?
Traditionally, registering at a sports betting site has involved filling
out lengthy registration forms and then waiting ages for the operator
to conduct its due diligence. But now, with solutions such as Trustly’s
Pay N Play, new players can play instantly without registration while
still allowing operators to stay compliant with the regulators, through
the monitoring of both transactions and players who show signs of
addictive and/or high-risk behaviour.
Players can click “Make a bet”, enter the amount they wish to
deposit, and verify themselves with their online banking credentials
to complete the deposit. The actual verification process is incredibly
safe thanks to strong, two-factor authentication methods.
Once the player’s identity is verified, registration details are pulled
from the account to fulfil the necessary KYC checks and the operator
can establish an account in the background. Even when a player
leaves the site their account is safe. When they return, they simply
log in through their bank again and continue playing.
Not only is this betting experience more seamless for the players,
but operators also benefit from a decreased cost of acquisition,
lower abandonment rates and higher retention rates because the
registration is invisible and inherently tied to a deposit.
A future free of registration
Casino sites have already seen rampant success with no-registration
technology, proving it’s a model that speaks to consumers’ need for
speed, safety and convenience.
And as banks improve the underlying authentication methods
to include biometrics, the ease of making a deposit and verifying
oneself using online bank payments will continue to increase –
even in markets such as the UK where online bank payments are
Samuel Barrett started his gaming career more
than seven years ago at Clarion Events, where
within three years he became head of sales and
was managing the biggest gaming show in the
industry. He has since held management roles
at payments businesses including ClickandBuy,
Skrill (Paysafe Group) and FX brokerage World
First before joining Trustly as director of gaming.
not yet a widespread method. The revised Payment Services
Directive (PSD2) is also expected to increase the popularity of online
bank payments as it opens up consumer data to innovative third-
party providers.
These factors point toward a growing preference for online bank
payments, which will further drive interest in no-registration sports
betting sites.
In-banner betting and beyond
Soon, no-registration models will be commonplace in the betting
industry, and operators that don’t offer a frictionless sign-up and
deposit flow will be left in the dust. So how can operators further
differentiate themselves, and where could this technology lead
the industry next?
Imagine you’re surfing the web, perhaps reading news about
your favourite football team. In a banner to the right, you see an
offer to bet on the score of tonight’s match. You place a bet on your
team directly within the banner, even though you’ve never visited
that specific sportsbook site before. You simply choose the odds
and select the amount you wish to bet, make a deposit by logging
into your online bank via the iframe, and confirm your deposit with
your bank’s usual authentication method. You watch the game that
evening and it turns out you made a smart bet. When you’re ready
to cash out your winnings, you navigate to the site and withdraw the
money directly to your bank account.
It’s hard to picture a smoother betting experience, as you
never need to register an account or even leave the website you’re
surfing. And the applications of this technological innovation
are far-reaching: it could enable shoppers to buy a pair of shoes
directly from a banner ad, or let music fans purchase concert tickets
with greater ease. It’s a reality we aren’t far away from and one that
stands to dramatically reshape not just sports betting, but online
gaming and even e-commerce as we know it.
iGamingBusiness | Issue 111 | July/August 2018
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