PointsBet becomes first US operator to offer live, in-game betting without suspensions

Online sports betting operator PointsBet has become “the first U.S. sports betting provider” to offer clients live, in-game betting opportunities with zero suspensions across the core markets of spread and moneyline, as part of a test run during NBC’s Saturday NFL Playoffs broadcast. The company claims it has “broken ground” in the industry and calls the testing of its “Always On” technology a success.

The new technology was deployed during the NBC broadcast of the NFL Wildcard Playoff game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals.

The “first-of-its-kind” step follows PointsBet’s acquisition in March of 2021 of Dublin-based Banach Technology, a provider of proprietary quantitative driven trading models that support complex pre-game and live, in-game betting products across numerous sports, including the four major American sports and international soccer. The move accelerated PointsBet’s technology and product roadmap by delivering market-leading models, platforms and products.

"When we acquired Banach Technology, it was with a precise focus to build toward an 'always on' in-game betting technology experience at PointsBet,” said PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken. “That proprietary technology has been developed quicker than we expected since our acquisition, so we tested it out to its full extremity for an NFL playoff game." 

PointsBet Successfully Tests 'Always On' Live, In-Game Betting During NBC's Saturday NFL Broadcasthttps://t.co/LiqyqUtG9t

— PointsBet Communications (@PB_Comms) January 19, 2022

According to Aitken, during NBC’s Saturday Playoff Game, PointsBet’s customers experienced 100% uptime and no suspensions on in-game spread and moneyline bets, which the company believes to be the first-ever result of this kind in the US.

“While this test focused on the spread and moneyline markets, it also showed a glimpse into the future of where we can take our technology over time and offer a completely differentiated experience when betting in-play with PointsBet," added the CEO.

This new achievement joins others posted by the business as of late. Since phasing in its proprietary “OddsFactory” platform this NFL season, the business reduced the amount of live in-play market suspensions by 40%, halved the number of bets rejected by suspensions or price changes, and increased the number of bets cashed out by 60%.

"We have watched the integration of our advanced technology with increased uptimes as the NFL season progressed, and wanted the chance for a full test of our capabilities on spread and moneyline markets," said Mark Hughes, Group Chief Operating Officer at PointsBet. 

According to Hughes, Saturday’s NBC playoff game was selected because it would offer a bigger handle and higher number of bets placed with which to test the technology. “We brought the technology to market faster than we thought we could and created something for our clients that, until last Saturday, no one else in the sports betting world had accomplished," he added.

After the successful test run, PointsBet now plans to refine its live betting technology, expand its offerings, and optimize the customer experience “for the 2022 NFL season.” The company is the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports, with integrations on the Football Night in America studio show and the Peacock Sunday Night Football Final postgame show.

PointsBet currently operates its sports betting product in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, and West Virginia, with online casinos in Michigan, New Jersey, and West Virginia. The company intends to continue expanding its footprint and live gaming options in the future.