5G Services Could Boost Mobile, In-Game Sports Betting

The introduction of "faster 5G wireless services could be a boon for the fledgling U.S. mobile sports-betting industry," as the new technology is "expected to make it easier for fans to make wagers" as games unfold, according to Sarah Krouse of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The new service technology "allows more devices to be connected at a time and promises to reduce latency, which could keep fans on their phones longer and encourage more of them to wager while they watch." Outside of stadiums, 5G could "enable fans to make mobile bets while simultaneously streaming games on their phones." Some execs said that the "confluence of 5G and mobile sports betting is expected to open up new revenue opportunities for sports leagues, gambling companies and telecommunications firms alike." Master Consulting President Stephen Master said that in the U.K., more than 70% of all mobile sports bets are "in-play or after the game has started, while sports betting in the U.S. has primarily focused on which team will win or lose." Master added that sports in the U.S. are "well positioned for in-game betting" because games like baseball or football are "less free-flowing than soccer." But he added if "in-play betting is really going to take off like it has overseas, you really need the low-latency, high-speed connectivity" of 5G (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/12).