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SPORTS BETTING
PERSONALITY-DRIVEN SPORTS ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF BETTING
As fans increasingly follow athletes over teams, sports betting is evolving to reflect the shift. Scott Longley explains how player props and micro markets are now central to engagement, personalisation and profit
I n the evolution of modern sports fandom and sports betting alike, the team is now being eclipsed by the individual. Nowhere is this shift more apparent – or more consequential – than in the rise of player prop betting. Once a niche category, player props are becoming central to sportsbook offerings, marketing strategies and bettor engagement worldwide.
“ Sport is now more people-focused,” says Karl Danzer, SVP of Odds Services at Sportradar.“ Team sports are more personality-led. Not all organisations like that – it hands players the power – but it plays a big role in how people bet.”
Danzer is among a growing chorus of voices in the industry noting how generational and technological shifts are converging to drive the popularity of player-specific markets. From increased investment in micro-betting to product innovation in bet builders and same game parlays( SGPs), sportsbooks are rapidly adapting to a reality where fans follow players more than teams.
FROM TEAM ALLEGIANCES TO PLAYER LOYALTY
“ If you look at older generations and in the European space with football, how you grew up was to support a team first and foremost,” Danzer explains.“ That
iGB L! VE 2025 • ISSUE 138 • 27