PowerPlay.com on the Olympics: "Having such a variety of new sports on the site is an opportunity"

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are now in full swing, a spectacle of athletic prowess that draws in even non-sports enthusiasts. However, besides the thrill of watching the world's top athletes go for gold in their respective disciplines, the event also represents an opportunity to generate revenue for many sectors of businesses – including the sports betting market.

In the gaming space, sportsbooks have diligently prepared to provide an unmatched betting experience to the millions of fans worldwide eager to wager on their favorite countries, sports, and athletes. The effort involves extensive planning and strategic operations to manage the surge in bets, in addition to the diverse range of events, many of which are niche and not traditionally offered by betting platforms.

"Having such a variety of new sports on the site is an opportunity," Bill O'Brien, Sportsbook Product Manager at PowerPlay.com, tells Yogonet in an exclusive interview. "Fans of more niche sports that don't usually get an opportunity to bet can do so for the next couple of weeks."

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are drawing attention from viewers (and bettors) all across the world. How has PowerPlay.com prepared for this major sporting event, and what opportunities do you see in it?

The Olympics is a challenging time for sportsbooks because they have to organize so many new events across a variety of sports on the website. Confidence in the accuracy of our odds is low, as most of these sports are not offered on a normal week/month/year.

Having such a variety of new sports on the site is also an opportunity though. Fans of more niche sports that don't usually get an opportunity to bet can do so for the next couple of weeks. There are also many casual sports fans watching and enjoying new sports for the first time, and being able to offer these events gives them a reason to come play with us.

What sports and disciplines are gathering the most wagering activity thus far? And with still plenty of action left before the Olympics end, which ones do you expect to gain momentum over the coming days?

The Men's Basketball is definitely the event that we have seen the most amount of money for so far. It seems to be garnering interest for several reasons. The US team is obviously full of some of the biggest names in the sport, and some of them are perhaps coming towards the end of their careers (Lebron, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant) – so people will watch for that reason alone.

The NBA has also had a much more international feel in the last few years, with great players coming from all over the world. It is interesting to see the likes of Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Giannis represent their respective countries. And of course, Canada possibly has its best-ever team and has secured a place in the QFs – so the excitement will be building for their medal push! 

I think Athletics is the sport that's going to start gaining momentum, especially when we start seeing some of the Finals taking place – everyone loves watching the likes of the 100m final!

How does betting activity during the Olympics compare to other events, in regards to average sums and types of bets? Do the Olympics attract a different type of customer than the frequent bettor that places wagers on sports like football and basketball during the regular season?

Because of the sheer volume of events that we have offered, there are plenty of bets on the Olympics. Stakes are maybe a little bit lower than we would see in the Major North American Leagues.

I mentioned that sportsbooks don't have as much confidence when offering these events, and maybe the same can be said for bettors. They might be more comfortable betting on their favorite NBA/NFL team that they watch every week than on something they have just started watching in the last few days! As a result of this, I have found that betting on the Olympics is much more casual.

All PowerPlay.com departments worked in the efforts for the Olympics, from those involved in setting odds to marketing and information technology. Can you give us some details on how this was coordinated, and what sets PowerPlay apart from other sportsbooks in its approach to major events?

Communication between all of the different departments is crucial, and I think we have done a great job in getting as good an offering as possible for our players. When creating a betting offering we always try to think about the customer and what they would want, and try to match that as closely as possible.

We are also very willing to listen to our players, and encourage them to provide feedback through surveys or through our Customer Support - If we know that something is missing/wanted, we can get to work to make this available!