Microbetting continues to be a popular choice for live NBA wagers.
This week, Simplebet announced that roughly $325 million was wagered across operators that utilize its microbetting products, including DraftKings, Caesars, bet365, and Hard Rock Bet.
Close to 13 million bets were placed on games across the 2023-24 NBA season, with an estimated growth of 75% for each category compared to the 2022-23 NBA season.
The 2024 NBA playoffs proved especially lucrative, as Simplebet offered 86 microbetting markets for separate playoff and play-in games. Popular bets included the next Field Goal-type market, allowing fans to predict the next shot made by a specific player.
“We were thrilled to witness the growth of fan engagement throughout this NBA season,” Simplebet CEO Chris Bevilacqua said. “Our commitment to providing innovative in-play betting options has allowed users to interact with the game in real-time, predicting their favorite players’ next moves on the hardwood.”
The most popular NBA players wagered in the Field Goal-type market included LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Kevin Durant.
Bevilacqua believes the rise in NBA TV ratings this past season correlated with in-play betting.
“It’s logical that in-play betting has contributed to an enhanced viewing experience," said Bevilacqua. "The significant growth we’ve seen underscores the demand for our micro-betting products, and we look forward to continuing to deepen the in-play experience for NBA fans everywhere.”
Microbetting markets surge in 2024
In addition to the NBA, Simplebet noted several other professional sports that have seen microbetting growth.
Coming off a strong 2023 season that saw the MLB microbetting market double its yearly handle, Simplebet reported a 157% increase in total money wagered year-over-year during the first two weeks of the 2024 MLB season. This includes roughly 100,000 new customers placing wagers in micro-betting markets like pitch-by-pitch results.
The NFL shattered records as well, with Simplebet increasing its handle and ticket count by double-digits during Super Bowl 58 between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. During the 2023 NFL regular season, the total number of bets placed in microbetting markets rose 60% from 2022, along with a 60% increase in total betting handle.
Popular NFL microbetting markets included Same Drive Parlays, such as what will happen on the first play, how the drive will end, and which player will record a reception. Drive Result Exact generated over $7.7 million in betting handle during Super Bowl 58, allowing bettors to wager whether a drive would result in a touchdown, punt, field goal attempt, or turnover on downs.
