Betting

Betr goes live in US with first free-to-play app and takes aim at “legacy” sportsbooks

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By Jake Evans - 2 Sep, 2022

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Micro-betting start-up Betr has gone live with its first mobile app across the US.

The app is accessible in all states, initially on a free-to-play basis and is available for download from today (2 September) via the Apple and Google Play stores.

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Betr, which is backed by high-profile social media influencer Jake Paul, describes itself as the world’s first micro-betting focused app.

It has pledged to disrupt the US sports betting industry by providing a UX focused on enabling users to predict the outcomes of every moment of every sporting event.

Examples include predicting every pitch and at-bat of an MLB game or every play and drive of an NFL or College football match.

Betr CEO Joey Levy: “We view this free-to-play experience as a registration and onboarding platform to begin acquiring users mixed with an interactive tutorial for the future of sports betting.”

These markets will be presented in the app as intuitive multiple-choice questions, with odds showcased in a so-called easy-to-understand format.

This is designed to distance Betr from supposed “legacy” sportsbooks in the US betting market, which make for an unnecessarily complex user experience, according to Betr.

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Betr app today,” said Betr CEO and co-founder Joey Levy. “We view this free-to-play experience as a registration and onboarding platform to begin acquiring users mixed with an interactive tutorial for the future of sports betting.

“While this is very much an initial version that will get considerably better over time, we believe the experience released today provides a glimpse into the future of sports betting in the US – an instant gratification focus to betting delivered in a simple, intuitive user experience that anyone can enjoy, even if they have not bet on sports before.”

Despite going live on a free-to-play basis to begin with, users can wager coins which can then be redeemed for real prizes.

Customers will be granted 2,000 virtual coins when they download the app. As users earn coins, they can trade them in for cash prizes. For example, 150,000 coins can be traded in for $150. Initially, bets on major US sports leagues will be limited to 100 coins per wager.

Betr users can also earn more coins based on loyalty, by returning to the app on a daily basis.

Real-money betting launches are planned for the near future once Betr obtains the relevant licences and regulatory approval in specific states.

The business has already teamed up with the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company, which will lead to the launch of the real money-version of the app in Ohio.

Ohio’s first online and retail sportsbooks are scheduled to launch on 1 January 2023.

Betr head of product Alex Ursa, a former senior product director at FanDuel, said: “The future of the sports betting industry is finally here.

“What we launched today is not a sportsbook – this is something new, different, and interesting – which is what this industry needs, given every other operator in the space is essentially offering the same commoditised legacy sportsbook product.

Betr head of product Alex Ursa: “What we launched today is not a sportsbook – this is something new, different, and interesting – which is what this industry needs, given every other operator in the space is essentially offering the same commoditised legacy sportsbook product.”

“Betr is also the first betting app where someone who has never bet on sports before can dive right in and enjoy the experience with no learning curve and we are excited to finally be able to share it with the world,” he added.

Betr intends to raise its profile via its association with Paul, who boasts a Twitter following of 4.4 million followers and often launches exclusive promotions and prizes for his fans.

Social media marketing could well become a low-cost acquisition channel for the company as it looks to compete for market share with more established sportsbook operators across the US.

For example, one user who downloads the new Betr app and correctly predicts the first run or pass play of the NFL season will win a free Betr-branded Jeep Wrangler.