Technology / 09.09.18

NFL Kickoff 2018: Are Stadium Wi-Fi Networks Ready for In-Game Mobile Betting?

Access Staff

Original article published on Forbes (09/09/18) by Matt Rybaltowski

The Sept. 9 game between the New York Giants and the Jacksonville Jaguars marked the first time in-play, mobile betting was available within an NFL stadium for a regular-season contest. DraftKings Sportsbook became the first operator in early August to launch a mobile betting app in New Jersey, and several others have since followed with apps of their own. As sports gambling expands across the country, the need for high-quality stadium Wi-Fi technology has never been more important. Venues that have recently overhauled their networks to deploy the latest Wi-Fi technology are in the best position to capitalize on in-play betting, noted Norman Rice III of Extreme Networks Inc., the official Wi-Fi provider of the NFL. Companies like FanDuel or DraftKings can gain a competitive advantage by partnering with certain stadiums, he said. There are also numerous marketing opportunities that could stem from in-stadium betting, Rice added. Using Wi-Fi analytics that capture various social media trends at a stadium, companies can inform teams on betting patterns during a game. Casinos could also begin developing kiosks inside pro sports venues pending league approval, while sports betting could be offered along with other forms of stadium entertainment such as e-sports and virtual reality. "The teams are challenged with making sure they can optimize revenue at the venue," Rice said. "How they do that is getting people in the facility; that's Job 1. Job 2 is to keep them in the facility and keep them engaged, and Job 3 is, how do you optimize your engagement with them? Gaming is a completely untapped avenue for the clubs, the teams, and the league."

Read the full story on the Forbes website.

Tags: Sports , NFL , WiFi