Everything you need to build the best app for betting on sports in 2024

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The legal sports betting industry is constantly growing, and much of this growth comes from bettors who use mobile apps to place wagers. These platforms have started to play such a vital part in sportsbooks’ strategies that more and more companies are considering developing their own.

As a partner for over 50 leading sportsbooks and sportsbook providers, OddsMatrix offers betting solutions for sports betting platforms worldwide. Stakeholders choose us because we contribute to their success, helping their apps become the go-to option for bettors.

This article is for you if you are also considering taking your business on mobile devices. It showcases what the best sports betting apps have in common and what you need to know when developing a sports betting app. It also walks you through some of the best examples of apps, so you can see how the leading ones stand out.

Advantages of developing your sports betting app

Offering 24/7 access to sports betting

Building your sports betting app enables you to offer sports betting access to target audiences 24/7, maximizing the time your business generates sales. This way, you have a platform that works for you even outside business hours when there are no employees to cater to it.

Such a flexible approach enables bettors to place wagers anytime, from anywhere, using their smartphones or mobile devices.

Enhanced user analytics that fosters customization

The best sports betting apps come with easy-to-use administration panels that enable sportsbooks to operate the platform and visualize analytics. This means you can access information about the user journey, conversions, and each bettor’s preferred markets and sports.

This data enables you to personalize user experience and meet your customers throughout their user journey via messages delivered through push notifications. Messages may include everything from offers and discount codes to news about the development of sporting events that interest them. Player data can also be a factor that influences customization – for example, you can make betting recommendations that are based on the individual patterns of each player.

Also, constantly updating bettors on the progress of live sports events will attract more customers to bet on your live game betting opportunities.

You have transparency over the safety and security protocols

A well-developed sports betting app goes hand in hand with software dedicated to verifying user identity, performing anti-fraud and anti-money laundering procedures, and other safety-related protocols. Offering your users a safe environment for their betting pleasure is paramount when developing a sports betting app.

Furthermore, automated processes make it seamless for the sports betting operator to overview the safety of processes from user onboarding to payout.

Differentiate your business with offers and rewards programs

Building your mobile platform ensures high flexibility in creating and managing complex bonus systems and rewarding loyalty programs that attract bettors.

Using specialized software like BonusEngine, which integrates with the OddsMatrix Sportsbook, enables you to offer users an engaging experience. Sportsbooks can extend player sessions, increase reactivation, boost retention, and reduce bonus costs by automating internal processes, setting player eligibility conditions, and configuring rules and dependencies between bonuses.

Must-haves of the most successful sports betting apps

Geolocation software that keeps them compliant

Sports betting apps use geolocation software to ensure users are physically located where they say they are. This helps them ensure they fulfil legal requirements and only offer their services in the regulated US states or countries in which they are licensed to operate.

Good geolocation software calculates positioning and uses GPS and speed metrics to check whether bettors are using VPNs to trick the system. It only takes seconds to identify and communicate results to sportsbooks, enabling them to assess if their customers are trying to commit location fraud.

Since player location checks are mandatory in the activity of any sportsbook, solid, reliable geolocation software becomes a crucial element.

Account opening and activity monitoring

KYC and AML procedures are crucial for compliant sports betting operations helping to identify and verify user identity. While these mechanisms are to be performed thoroughly, they need to be fast and invisible enough not to affect the user onboarding process. 

This is why you need to identify the best software for your sports betting business and ensure that, while your business is protected against financial crime and risks, bettors still enjoy using your services.

A fraud and know-your-customer management software like MoneyMatrix utilizes best-in-class technologies to help you validate the identity of your customers, monitor transactions in real-time, and offer player data. This way, you ensure you always have the necessary information to reject or flag potentially problematic transactions.

Coverage of a wide range of sports

The best sports betting apps provide users with generous, diversified sports betting options. This means covering traditional sports with long betting histories, like horse racing, crowd pleasers like football, American football, baseball, and more exotic options, like Pétanque, Lacrosse, Curling, or Sumo.

Esports is also mandatory to position your betting platform as a top option for audiences. Consider including some of the most popular esports titles, like Fifa, NBA2k, CS:GO, LOL, and DOTA 2.

By covering a wide range of sports, you ensure that bettors find everything they need on your platform and don’t need to visit your competitors’ apps. Such an approach contributes to higher customer retention and loyalty.

OddsMatrix offers real-time odds, stats, scores, and settlements for over 70 sports, from football and volleyball to bowls, biathlons, darts, and 23 esports. Our esports selection includes well-known names like Fifa, NBA2k, CS:GO, and more, and emerging ones, such as e-volleyball, skeleton, and snooker.

A remarkable user experience that converts

When considering the best mobile sports betting app, bettors expect it to be intuitive, fast, reliable, and have a friendly user interface.

Your sports betting app needs to be easy to navigate by all bettors, from the most experienced to those just getting started. The design should be clean, so users can easily find the odds, the bets, and the information they require. When everything is presented in a simple and visually appealing manner, the whole user experience is smoother.

Diversity of markets and betting offers

Apart from a wide range of sports and esports, an attractive sports betting app also needs diverse markets and betting offers. This is why sportsbooks should look outside traditional options, like Totals, Asian Handicap, or Over / Under, and opt for betting markets that help their apps stand out from the competition. In horse racing, for example, exotic bets include the Tricast or the Reverse Tricast.

Excellent customer service

Bettors might not choose a sports betting app based solely on customer service, but they will stop using it if they don’t receive the attention and attitude they expect.

Customer service can make or break a sportsbook’s reputation. It’s crucial to ensure that your users can reach you quickly and that you have well-trained representatives who understand the industry’s terminology and professionally handle complaints. From live chats to phone numbers and email addresses available across your platform and within the mobile app – there are multiple contact methods you can use.

Train your staff to respond quickly so that bettors don’t spend long times waiting for someone to pick up the phone or reply to their request. Apart from having a team of customer service representatives proportional to your user base, you must also ensure continuous staff training so that every member knows your offers, terms, and conditions.

Livestreaming to build on the excitement of live bets

As the game activity unfolds, punters enjoy the moment’s adrenaline and a higher level of engagement by placing real-time bets. Furthermore, bettors are more inclined towards live bets when offered the possibility to watch the game on the same platform.

Fun widgets make betting even more exciting

Data widgets installed on sports betting apps enhance the user experience, enabling bettors to easily track results and information regarding the teams and leagues that interest them. A fun widget placed in the right spot in your app’s layout is an excellent content addition.

Through OddsMatrix Data Services, sportsbooks have access to easy-to-integrate API-based sports data widgets that include in-depth information on in-game events, league standings or head-to-head comparisons.

Attractive sign-up bonuses and quick payout

To succeed, even the best online sports betting app needs some support, and attractive sign-up bonuses are an excellent way to generate trial and attract users. These can come under different forms, such as free money that bettors may use once they open an account or make a deposit, risk-free bets that are refunded if the wager fails, or enhanced odds that enable bettors to receive additional payouts if they win a bet.

When choosing their sports betting app, bettors browse options and consider the sign-up bonus each sportsbook offers. Another aspect that differentiates the best sports betting apps from the competition is the ease by which the cashout process is performed. At the end of the day, as fun as the experience might be, you have to remember bettors are in it for the win and will prioritize the sportsbook that offers them fast withdrawal methods.

The FanDuel app offers an excellent best practices example, enabling users to withdraw their money using a series of options, such as e-checks, Paypal, and their own FanDuel prepaid card.

Top 5 betting apps rated by users

If you ask amateur and professional bettors alike what is the best sports betting app, they might need help naming just one, as there are several that audiences appreciate. Pinpointing to a specific application depends significantly on what each user prioritizes, from the overall user experience to the diversity of sports and betting markets or payout options. Since several top-of-mind brands should be considered and studied, we put together a top 5 betting apps rated by users.

Draft Kings

We don’t know if Draft Kings’ is the best mobile sports betting app, but it surely is the first to be launched outside Nevada in April 2018. Appreciated by newbies and pros alike, the platform benefits from frequent promotions and a seamless user experience.

Punters like that it covers a wide range of sports, and top competitions.

FanDuel

The FanDuel sports betting app is the best mobile online betting app for user experience, as users point out. The UX is intuitive, the platform is easy to navigate, and it offers a wide range of betting markets.

These aspects and the fast payouts make the FanDuel app a strong contestant for the “best app for sports betting” title.

Bettors particularly appreciate that FanDuel has constant promotions and bonuses. These are exclusive to app users, making it appealing for users to log into their accounts regularly.

BetMGM

The BetMGM sports betting app is known for the attention to detail put into everything, from visuals to user journey and user experience. The perfectly optimized platform attracts users with its diverse range of betting markets, live betting, and livestreaming opportunities.

What bettors particularly like about BetMGM are the welcome bonuses, considered some of the best in the industry.

Caesars Sportsbook

When prompted about which sports betting app is the best, many newbies might say Caesars Sportsbook. This is because the platform is straightforward to use. Everything bettors need is presented cleanly on the homepage, so users don’t miss any information.

A particular strength of the Caesars Sportsbook app is that it offers a high level of security, employing features like two-factor authentication. Bettors appreciate this because it makes them feel their money and identities are well protected.

BetRivers Sportsbook

Although less intuitive and user-oriented than its counterparts, the BetRivers Sportsbook app is an excellent choice for bettors. The platform that doesn’t focus much on design has attractive weekly promotions, competitive odds, and a successful rewards program.

Build the best app for sports betting with OddsMatrix

OddsMatrix helps some of the best sports betting brands offer entertaining and esports betting experiences. Our betting solutions provide the choices and support that empower betting operators to build robust betting apps that thrive and are highly profitable in their markets.

To build the best sports betting app in your region, you need to study the top players, learn from them and choose trustworthy, experienced partners that enable you to offer the best odds and fixtures.

Contact us, and learn how you can leverage our data to turn your sports betting app into a success.

 

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